anime-matchmaker-blog

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Together is Better than Alone

Baking a strawberry shortcake was a tradition within the Kageyama household. Over the years, Mob mastered his family recipe and somehow made it better than before, so he was the one who baked it every year with his mom or Ritsu assisting. He usually made one, but this year, he made two.

He placed the second cake inside a cake box his mom had saved, folding it closed and tying it shut with ribbon. He grabbed a hat, gloves, and jacket from his room, returning downstairs to pick up the cake and slip his feet into his shoes. Ritsu appeared from the living room, eyes widening as his brother opened the front door. “Where are you going, Nii-san?”

“Oh, Ritsu. I’m just going to make a quick delivery – I’ll be back before you know it.” Mob blinked at the snow landscape outside, raising his head to watch the snow fall.

“Mom mentioned Reigen-san has a place at our table tonight,” Ritsu said after a moment. “Can you tell him that?”

“I will. I’m off.” He took the first step into the snow, his shoeprints leaving a trail. He heard his brother close the door behind him, leaving him out in the cold.

Further into town, the Spirits and Such Consultation Office was opened for business. Serizawa glanced out the window, noticing the empty sidewalks and roads. He let out a breath, raising his head to watch Reigen sip his tea and flip the newspaper across the room. “Reigen-san,” he said, “will anyone come by today? Even though not all of us celebrate Christmas, there are still people who do.”

“What are you talking about? We’re open 365 days a year. Any day is a good day for a consultation or exorcism.” Reigen didn’t look up at him. He wasn’t surprised when Mob had told him he couldn’t come in today because of family festivities, so it was just the two of them. “Besides, we can have our own little party here. You can cook, right, Serizawa?”

“As in cup noodles, yes, I can…” Serizawa frowned. “I remember…a long time ago, every Christmas, my mom would bake a strawberry shortcake. I haven’t had one since then, I think…those are a tradition here, aren’t they?”

“Beats me. I don’t celebrate Christmas. Presents and all that are a waste of money. Decorations and stuff. This snow’s enough to make anyone feel the Christmas spirit.” Reigen lowered his newspaper to narrow his eyes at him. “By the way, did you know that there’s a ghost that claims to be Santa Claus?”

“Reigen-san, even I won’t believe that.”

Quiet knocks sounded on the door before it was pulled open. The men scrambled to their feet to appear professional, deflating again when they recognized who it was. “Mob?” Reigen said incredulously. “What are you doing here?”

“Good morning, Shishou, Serizawa-san. I brought a present for you both.” Mob placed the box down on the table. “I hope you’ll enjoy it. Do you need my help with anything?”

Reigen shook his head slowly. “Mob, didn’t you say you had family stuff today? Why aren’t you with them?”

“I…felt guilty for saying I couldn’t come today. I thought by making something would be enough for an apology, but…I guess it isn’t the same…” Mob dwindled his thumbs behind his back. “I’m sorry. I wanted to help, but my family would be upset if I stayed…”

“Mob, if you want a job from me, it’d be to stay with your family and spend the day with them. Don’t worry about us – we’ve got each other. It isn’t much – it’s kind of shady, honestly – but we’re fine with it. Now, get out there and go back to your parents. They’re probably waiting for you to come home.”

“He’s right, Shigeo-kun,” Serizawa spoke up. “Neither of us celebrate Christmas, so we’re fine here. Please go back home and enjoy the day. You can come in tomorrow.”

Mob nodded, bowing once again. “Okay. Thank you, Shishou, Serizawa-san. I’ll be leaving then.” He opened the door, pausing for a moment. Without another word, he headed out.

Once he was out of earshot, Reigen approached the box, examining it from various angles. He pulled the ribbon, letting the bow become undone. He opened it, whistling. “Check it out, Serizawa. Next time, let’s just get Mob to cook for us.”

Serizawa approached him, eyes widening at the shortcake. “Oh, Shigeo-kun…”

It didn’t take long for Mob to return home. Ritsu greeted him with a towel at the threshold, stepping back so his brother could shake snow off his jacket and shoes. “What did Reigen-san say?” he asked. “Is he coming?”

“Oh, about that…I didn’t ask. Christmas is when you spend time with your family or friends or the people closest to you. If he came, he would leave Serizawa-san behind and if both of them came, I think neither of them would enjoy it much. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

Ritsu nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. You’ll see him tomorrow too, so it isn’t too much of a big deal. I’ll tell Mom that he won’t be coming then.” He walked down the hallway, pausing to glance over his shoulder at his brother. “We’re waiting for you, Nii0san. Let’s go.”

“Right.” Mob hung up the rest of his wet clothes before joining his brother. Christmas was the time for loved ones to spend time with each other or friends to enjoy one another’s company. Not everyone celebrated it, but many embraced the concept, Mob and his family included. It was okay if others didn’t – that was their decision. Still, he couldn’t help but hope that those around him would have someone with them today and if there wasn’t anyone nearby, he wished them happiness all the same.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

The Secret is Friendship

Daichi preferred being in Kiyoko’s house for Christmas than his own because her family took it seriously. The largest Christmas tree in existence took up a quarter of the living room and the outside of the house was covered in lights and elegant decorations. Daichi’s family had a small Christmas tree, but that was it. There weren’t any presents underneath it either since none of them celebrated and his birthday was at the end of the year anyway.

He wasn’t here alone, however. Suga and Asahi were with him in the kitchen as they helped Kiyoko prepare the ingredients for her family’s special karaage. Each of them took some home to their own families and somehow, this became a yearly tradition. Despite being third-years now, they would probably return for years to come until circumstances decided against it.

With the chicken sitting in the marinate, the four of them washed the dishes and waited until it was time to fry them. Making karaage took the entire day, which none of them minded, since there wasn’t any school and the gym was closed to them. Majority of Kiyoko’s family took up the living room, so they retreated down to the basement, which had always been their hideout since their first year. Back then, Kiyoko had the fastest Internet speed, so the boys came by to watch matches or study techniques. They still did, despite each of them upgrading their devices over the years.

“This place hasn’t changed much, huh?” Suga commented, admiring the pipes running along the ceiling, the peeling wallpaper and forgotten posters tacked onto the walls, and the ratty couches that formed a square in the center of the basement. “Didn’t you say your family is doing renovations soon, Shimizu?”

She nodded as she placed a tray of cups of green tea down. “We’re considering it. We might sell the house in the future, which is why it’s better to start early.”

“You did mention that a while ago,” Daichi said. “Where were you planning to move again?”

“Closer to Sendai. We’ll still be in Miyagi.”

“That’s a relief. If you move to a different prefecture, who knows what’d happen to Tanaka and Nishinoya?” Suga said with a laugh. “Even though we’re graduating, they’d survive just knowing you’re nearby.”

“Will you visit after we graduate?” Asahi asked. “I think I’d be too afraid to…I mean, what if everyone changed to the point we don’t recognize them anymore?”

Suga punched his shoulder. “Like what? Hinata growing ten centimeters? He’d still be the shortest, no matter what. The others first-years though, they’re a different story.”

“Right? Whoever they choose to be captain, they’ll do a good job. I wouldn’t be able to choose one myself,” Daichi admitted.

“We know that’s a lie. You’re completely biased toward Ennoshita,” Suga said. “After him, though, I can’t figure out who’d be best suited for the job.”

“Nor who the ace would be,” Asahi added. “Hinata said he wants to be ace, but…well, it’ll be Coach’s decision in the end. He’s best suited for a middle blocker, to be honest.”

Kiyoko took a sip of her tea. “Don’t you have more urgent things to talk about than gossiping about your teammates?”

The boys glanced at him sheepishly. They gathered countless times to gossip about their underclassmen since it distracted them from the more important aspects of their lives – school, homework, and the pending future.

“Come on, Shimizu, it’s Christmas,” Suga said. “We shouldn’t talk about school when we’re on break. Aren’t we breaking an unspoken rule of some sort?”

“I would like to talk about it,” she replied. “Especially if we’re continuing this tradition for future years.”

A serious expression dawned on Daichi. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, chin touching his entwined fingers. “The counselor helped me narrow down the most likely choices and only one of them is outside the prefecture. I’ll probably live on campus since they’re both far from home.”

“Lucky. The program I want to get into the most is in Kyoto.” Suga folded his arms. “There are others nearby that aren’t as competitive, so depending on my grades, I’ll either be close to home or in Kyoto.”

All eyes turned to Asahi. He ducked his head sheepishly, mumbling, “I think I’ll go to the community college. I don’t know what I want to do yet and I hadn’t planned to go to college until you guys said I should…”

“Of course you should! Either you get a steady job with a degree or work as a farmer. Which one’s better?” Suga asked.

“The farmer, but that’s just me…”

“I plan to study in Tokyo,” Kiyoko said. “I have other options planned out, but I most definitely will be accepted into my program. There’s nothing else I really want to do.”

“Business, right? It fits you,” Daichi agreed. “If you’re out of the prefecture, will you still come home to visit?”

“When I can. I will come home for Christmas though. Will you?”

He nodded, Suga and Asahi joining him. “It’s not like us to break a tradition, you know?” Suga said. “I bet we’ll even come back to cheer the team on during the matches too.”

“Please don’t mention that,” Asahi groaned. “I might tear up if I see them play without us…oh crap, I think I’m tearing up now…”

Daichi chuckled softly, Kiyoko cracking a small smile. A short silence settled over them as they took sips of their tea, appreciating the warmth the liquid provided as well as the heat that pulsed from the heater. Heavy footsteps thudded across the ceiling, the occasional shout accompanying them. “Your family is so lively,” Suga commented. “All my relatives do is pinch my cheeks and talk about politics.”

“It’s a zoo sometimes,” Kiyoko agreed. “Just like the team.” The boys smirked in response. “It’s fun when they all come like this, but it’s tiring too. I’m not too great with huge crowds.”

“I remember the faces Tanaka and Nishinoya made when they heard you talk to Yachi the best time,” Daichi said. “If they knew you could talk this much, they’d cry tears of joy.”

“Hopefully, they won’t realize it.” The timer she had set began to go off and she stood up, the boys following. It was time for them to deep fry the karaage.

Supervised by Kiyoko’s mom, the third-years took turns deep frying the chicken, laughing whenever Asahi flinched away to avoid oil burning his arms. Suga managed to go through it unscathed while Daichi had a small burn on his forearm, which led to Kiyoko smearing cream on it and Suga and Asahi watching through narrowed eyes. Once the karaage had cooled, the portions were divided and each of them packed a container away into their bags.

“Thank you for letting us do this, Shimizu-san,” Daichi said, bowing to Kiyoko’s mom. “We’re sorry for intruding when you have family over.”

“No, no, don’t worry! It’s a wonderful tradition to have,” she replied, waving her hand at them. “Kiyoko is livelier after spending time with you, so please come by whenever possible. Our home is open to you all any time.”

“Shimizu-san, even though we’ve made this every year, I still can’t figure out why it tastes different than every other karaage recipe,” Suga said. “What’s the secret?”

She smiled. “You haven’t figured it out? This recipe is never made by one’s self. It’s because everyone works together, you bring out the best in the karaage. Now, do you boys need a ride home? We have plenty of candidates for you to choose from.”

They quickly declined, insisting they could head home themselves. Kiyoko stood to the side, watching them gear up, zip their jackets up, and slip on their shoes. She pulled her own jacket on when she pulled the door open and walked them out to the gate.

“Thank you for coming,” she said. She brushed a lock of hair away as she smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” they chimed. They headed down the road, the darkness swallowing them up within seconds. She stood in the snow for a minute longer before retreating back inside. This was just another year under their belt – there were many more to come and many more karaage to create together.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

An Eccentric Bunch

The agency was always closed around this time of the year, but since only the clerks had significant family dinners to attend, the detectives were often left with extra time and nothing to do. That was why Fukuzawa thought it would be a good idea to have his detectives bond by making them participate in a Secret Santa.

After the annual party was over and the clerks headed home, the detectives gathered by the heater with their gifts in hand. Fukuzawa stood over them, noticing expressions of curiosity and fear on their faces. They were an eccentric group and no one could predict what they might get. He hoped the presents were practical, or at least usable. He cleared his throat to grab their attention. “Let’s begin the exchange. Atsushi, will you like to start us off by handing your gift to your assigned person?”

“Uh, sure.” Atsushi stood up with his blue striped gift bag, crossing the room to meet Tanizaki. “I hope you’ll like it, Tanizaki.”

“Thanks, Atsushi. I bet whatever you got is practical.” Tanizaki opened it up, taking out the folded hoodie tucked among the tissue paper. It was a different color than his usual, which made him smile. “This is great! Thanks a lot!”

“No problem! Glad you like it.”

Fukuzawa motioned Naomi to go next. The box she had was unusually big and she needed to use both hands to pass it over to Yosano. “Here you go! I know you’ll like it for sure!”

“Really? I bet I know what it is.” Yosano grinned as she carefully opened the box, revealing a large cleaver inside. Everyone shrunk away when she took it out to examine. “You picked a nice one, Naomi-chan. You have my thanks.”

“I got you, Director,” Kenji said when Fukuzawa nodded at him. “It wouldn’t fit in the elevator so I couldn’t bring it up, but it’s one of my family’s best cows. It’s waiting downstairs for you.”

The director didn’t show any reaction when he replied, “That was thoughtful of you, Kenji-kun. I’ll put it to good use.” This was the third time he was gifted a whole cow, after all. “Kunikida, go ahead.”

He reached into his pocket to take out a small package, leaning forward to pass to Ranpo. “Here. For you.”

“What is it? It looks boring.” Ranpo poked at it with his finger. “It’s not candy, is it?”

“Of course not. You eat enough candy – this is something practical. Put it to good use.”

When Ranpo didn’t move to open it, Fukuzawa did. He tore the wrapping off and placed the object down in front of him. Yosano leaned over his shoulder to read the title. “’Guide to Common Sense’. It’s going to be wasted on him, you know.” Kunikida folded his arms and looked away, not bothering to respond. Ranpo placed the book on his lap without a word.

Yosano was next. She crossed the room to hand Kyouka a gift bag. “Here you go, Kyouka-chan. You’re always wearing the same kimono, so I hope you’ll wear this when you feel like you need a change.”

The kimono pattern she had gotten had flowers on it. Kyouka stared at it in awe for a moment before bowing her head. “Thank you very much.”

After her was Ranpo. He slid his gift across the table to Kenji. “Here. I just found something lying around and it reminded me of you.”

“Oh! Thank you very much, Ranpo-san!” Kenji opened the box, taking out a knife. “This is excellent – I can cut meat with this. My old knife is getting too dull for it.”

Since Ranpo’s gift had some sense of normalcy to it, Fukuzawa wondered if Dazai’s would too. “Dazai, if you could.”

“Yep, on the way!” Dazai stood up to cross the room to Kunikida. He pulled a book out from his pocket and handed it to him. “Make sure you read it, Kunikida-kun. It’s my favorite.”

Kunikida gave him a look when he accepted the gift. He recognized the familiar red cover of the book his partner was always reading. “Is this your ‘Guide to Suicide’ book? I’m not reading this.” He flipped through it anyway, frowning when he realized the pages were blank. Actually, it was about the same size as his usual notebook. “Wait, is this...?”

The front cover was loose when he ran his fingers over it and he ripped it off, revealing the familiar character for ideal. His eyes widened, mouth falling open incredulously. “You…thanks. I guess.”

“Go ahead, Kyouka.” At Fukuzawa’s prompt, Kyouka located her gift bag and held it out to Atsushi. He blinked at her, accepting it with both hands. He opened it and took out the cat plushie within.

“Wow, this is cute. Thank you very much, Kyouka-chan.” He smiled at her, noticing her cheeks turning red.

“Tanizaki, you’re next,” Fukuzawa said.

Tanizaki scratched the back of his head. “Actually, I got Naomi. She figured it out, so I owe her a meal among other things. I don’t have a present or anything…”

“It’s okay, Onii-sama! Whatever you make for me will be the best thing in the world!” Naomi threw her arms around him. “And then, we can have some fun of our own…”

Fukuzawa cleared his throat to interrupt them. There was one more man who had yet to receive his present. He approached him, the others moving aside to give him enough room. He stood in front of him, meeting his gaze, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dazai. You did well this year.”

“Eh?”

“Every one of you did well this year.” Fukuzawa turned to address his detectives. “We endured hardship after hardship, gained new members and enemies, but most importantly, we strengthened our bonds with one another. I expect the same performance next year. Happy holidays, everyone.”

“Happy holidays!”

“Wait, what’s my present?”

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Homemade Cookies are the Best

A blanket of snow covered the world outside and a curtain of snowflakes increased the amount that was already present. The house was warm inside, especially the kitchen, as the heat from the oven radiated within the confined space. Nyanko-sensei padded inside, sniffing the air to figure out what was being baked. A mixture of flour and sugar touched his nose, making him curious. "What are you making, Natsume?"

Natsume glanced down at him, oven gloves over both of his hands. An apron covered the clothes he wore, the yellow fabric stained with flour. A sheepish expression was on his face, golden eyes shining with embarrassment. "Oh, Sensei, you're back? I thought I'd finish before you came home."

"Don't avoid the question! What are these?" he jumped onto the counter, staring at the baking tray suspiciously. "Cookies?"

"They're sugar cookies. I wanted to give everyone a small gift for Christmas, but I couldn't think of anything. Touko-san said baking cookies would be a good idea." Natsume waved the cat away when he got close to the cookies. "Please don't eat them, Sensei! You can have some after I divide them up."

"Hmph. Knowing you, they're hard as rocks. You never cooked much anyway." Nyanko-sensei jumped back down onto the floor. "Why cookies?"

Natsume ducked his head self-consciously. "Touko-san said homemade cookies are always better than store bought gifts because you can tell how much care and effort someone put into making them. I want to do this to thank them."

"Idiot. Christmas is about giving, not thanking." He started toward the doorway. "Have fun. I'm going to drink more sake upstairs."

He watched him disappear into the hallway. With a small smile, he turned back to the oven to watch the batch bake for a moment before turning his attention to the ones already cooling by the window. A few were burnt around the edges and others had strange shapes to them, but he had tasted them and the flavor wasn't unusual or off. If the youkai could eat human food, he would've spent all night baking. Fortunately, all he needed was enough for his friends and family.

The next day, he carried an additional bag lined with small gift bags filled with the cookies, tied off nicely with ribbon. He left a bag for the cat on his way out, smiling at his slumbering figure by the heater. He shouldered his own bag on and grabbed the other, ready to trek through the snowy landscape.

“Morning, Natsume!” Nishimura was first to greet him on their way into the school grounds. “You ready for winter break? I can’t wait to take a break from studying and relax for once!”

“Good morning, Nishimura. I’m looking forward to some time off too.” He reached into his bag to hand him one of the small bundles of cookies. “Here you go. Happy holidays.”

“Oh! What’s this?” Nishimura took it and held it to the light, eyes widening at the contents inside. “Are these cookies? Did you make them yourself? That’s so cool!”

“Morning!” Kitamoto appeared behind them. “What’s happening?”

Natsume held one out for him. “Good morning, Kitamoto. This one is for you.”

“Wow, really? Thanks, Natsume!” Kitamoto grinned. “Homemade cookies are always the best. We’ll let you know how they taste later!”

They headed off toward class while Natsume looked for his other friends. “Good morning, Tanuma!” he called out when he spotted his friend on the second floor landing.

“Oh, morning, Natsume!” he raised a hand in greeting. “You’re early this morning.”

“Am I? I wanted to give everyone these before class.” Natsume took another bundle out to hand to him. “This one is for you, Tanuma. Happy holidays.”

Tanuma gaped at him. “Are you sure? Are they really for me?”

“Yes, I made plenty for everyone. I just wanted to show my appreciation somehow. It isn’t much, but I hope you’ll like them all the same.” Natsume ducked his head in embarrassment, glancing back up when he noticed his friend smile out of the corner of his eye.

“I’ll share them with my dad. Thank you, Natsume. It’s very nice of you.” He smiled.

Natsume found Taki outside of her class. Her cheeks turned red when he handed her a bundle of cookies, standing with unwavering confidence despite the stares directed at them. She accepted it with both hands, smile wide and bright. “Thank you, Natsume-kun,” she said. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything in return…but, I’ll make it up to you in the future.”

“It’s okay, I don’t need anything. Just your gratitude is fine with me,” he replied. The bell rang and he turned his heel to head to his own class. “I’ll see you later, Taki.”

Since he had plenty of leftovers, he handed them off to several other of his close classmates and teachers until he had two remaining for his foster parents. His friends walked him home, shouting out promises that they’ll return the favor in the future, even though Natsume insisted it wasn’t necessary. He entered his home, calling out, “I’m back!” as he took his shoes off and stepped inside.

“Welcome back,” Touko greeted him on his way into the kitchen. “How did it go? Did your friends enjoy the cookies?”

He nodded. He reached into the bag to hand one of the two bundles to her. “This one is for you, Touko-san. I hope you’ll enjoy them.”

“Oh, how wonderful! Thank you, Takashi-kun. I’ll enjoy them from the bottom of my heart.” She smiled. “Why don’t you head upstairs and wash up? You’re becoming quite a capable young man in the kitchen, so why don’t I teach you a few things?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.” He headed upstairs and entered his room, noticing Nyanko-sensei reading the newspaper by the heater. “Sensei, did you move at all?”

The cat looked up, crumbs sticking to the corners of his mouth. “If I didn’t, how else could I have gotten the newspaper?”

“That’s a good point.” Natsume changed out of his uniform and into his usual house clothes, adjusting the sleeves to roll up to his elbows. He remembered to fetch the apron at the bottom of his closet, turning to head back out again. “I’m going to help Touko-san make dinner, so I’ll come up to get you when it’s ready.”

“When did you start cooking?” the cat asked.

Natsume smiled to himself. “Touko-san said I have potential.” He glanced at the window, realizing it was snowing again. “It’ll be another white Christmas this year.”

“As it always is.” Nyanko-sensei yawned. “Get down there. I’m hungry.”

“I will, I will.” Natsume slid the door closed behind him. Every year, Touko had always been the one to cook their Christmas meals. Hopefully, he’d have enough potential to help out this year. It wouldn’t be much to repay their kindness, but so long he could take it step by step, it would add up in the future.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Under the Kotetsu

Since the school was closed for the break, the clubroom was inaccessible. The team unanimously voted to have their Christmas party and gift exchange at Kuroo’s house because it was the only way they could have Kenma attend. Not to mention, he had the largest kotetsu that could fit them all and more.

Steaming cups of tea were in front of each of them, their plates and chopsticks piled in the sink. The various gift bags and boxes were placed on the table, all of them varying in size and color. Kuroo took his phone out to open his playlist. “We’ll go around while the song’s playing and when it ends, that’s the gift you get. Got it?”

“Kuroo-san!” Lev waved his hand. “Play some Christmas music!”

“I don’t have any on my phone. Besides, there aren’t any good songs anyway.”

Yaku rolled his eyes. “You’ve got no spirit. If you want Jingle Bells, I have it.”

“And here I wanted to show off my new Spyair album,” Kuroo grumbled. “Fine, put it on, Yaku.”

The libero turned the volume to the max as Jingle Bells echoed around them. The exchange began, their gifts moving around the table. “Anyone has any plans for the break?” Kai asked. “I’ll be in Akita visiting family until the end of the year.”

“That’s pretty far,” Inuoka commented. “Akita has a lot of snow around this time too. Do you ski or anything, Kai-san?”

“Not really. I always focused on volleyball than any other sport. What about you, Inuoka?”

“I’m just staying in the city this year. We usually travel, but I don’t want to get injured before the Spring High.” He passed his gift to Shibayama. “Didn’t you say you were going somewhere, Yuuki?”

Shibayama shook his head. “The trip got canceled because of my dad’s work. It’s okay, there’s a lot of work I need to finish here. Lev, aren’t you going to Russia? That’s what you told us.”

He nodded. “Yep! It’ll be my first time!”

“Keep the circle going, Lev,” Yamamoto called out. The tall middle blocker quickly passed on his gift, resuming the steady flow. “Akane’s cooking this year. Should I be scared?”

“She’s pretty good, isn’t she?” Yaku asked. “She made us chocolate one year. Those were pretty good chocolates too.”

“Yeah, but she’s also, you know…kind of out there? Well, not really, but you know what I mean!” Yamamoto turned to Kenma. “You’ll let me crash your dinner if anything happens, right, Kenma?”

“The table is already full this year.” He often had joint dinners with Kuroo’s family since they were close friends.

“It’s just one extra person! Please, Kenma!”

“Taketora-san, you can join my family for Christmas,” Lev offered. “We always have leftovers, so you can share some with your family too!”

“Aren’t you in Russia by then?” Yaku pointed out. “That’s too much for one meal.”

The song began to wind down and then fade into the background. “Okay, stop,” Kuroo called out. Inuoka took back the present he gave to Shibayama, Fukunaga debating on which one of his he passed on. He handed Yamamoto the blue-striped bag. “Let’s start with the first-years. Inuoka?”

Inuoka shook his bag before opening it up. Wrapped within the tissue paper was a wallet. “Oh, is this a wallet? I needed one!”

“Oh, that’s from me.” Kuroo grinned. “Glad you needed it.”

“Thank you, Kuroo-san!”

“No problem. Shibayama?”

The bag he had was small and beneath the tissue paper was a light novel. He flipped it over to read the title aloud. “’I was staring at my phone waiting for my girlfriend to call me, but she didn’t, so the radiation turned me into a vending machine’…?”

“That’s from me!” Yamamoto raised his hand. “It was really good, so I thought I’d let one of you guys have the first volume.”

“The sequel is better,” Kenma mumbled. Shibayama placed the light novel back in its place, bowing his head in gratitude to his senpai.

Lev was next. “It’s kind of heavy…” he took out a mug wrapped in tissue paper. When he tore it off, his eyes widened. “Oh! This is great!” the mug had was red and black with white paw prints along the bottom as well as a silhouette of a cat.

“That’s mine. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I had the mug custom made.” Yaku scratched the back of his head. “Don’t break it, you hear?”

“I won’t! Thank you, Yaku-san!”

Fukunaga opened his present afterwards. It was a calendar showcasing Japan’s most scenic areas and a planner accompanied it. He bowed his head at Kai in gratitude, the third-year waving his hand nonchalantly. “Please put it to good use,” he said. “Calendars aren’t very popular anymore.”

“Go on, Kenma,” Kuroo said, nudging the pudding-haired setter. He let out a small sigh, carefully opening his present. He took out a bundle wrapped in dog-patterned wrapping paper.

“That’s from me!” Inuoka piped up. “I think you’ll like it a lot, Kenma-san!”

He peeled the wrapping paper off to reveal a manga volume – the fifth volume of Boku no Hero Academia. Kenma looked up at him. “Thank you,” he said slowly. “Why the fifth volume? Why not the first?”

“Todoroki looks super cool on it! You told me he was your favorite too, right? Good thing you got it!”

Yamamoto didn’t hesitate to tear into his present. The package contained a pair of gloves, toque, and scarf, all of them matching their school colors. Shibayama looked embarrassed as he said sheepishly, “I didn’t know what size to make them, so I hope they aren’t too small for you, Taketora-san.”

“You made these yourself, Shibayama?” Yamamoto asked incredulously. The small first-year nodded and if it weren’t for the kotetsu, Yamamoto would’ve jumped up to tackle him. “Thanks! I’ll take good care of them!”

Kuroo glanced at Yaku. “You’re next.” Yaku rolled his eyes and opened his. He took out a figure of a cat, rotating it around to examine it.

“Is this a maneki neko?” he asked. “It looks like one, but at the same time, it reminds me of something else…” his eyes lit up a moment later. “It’s Sensei!”

“Sensei?” Kuroo repeated. “What kind of sensei are you thinking of?”

“Nyanko-sensei! From Natsume Yuujinchou!” Yaku started to grin, his enthusiasm lighting the entire room. “Thank you, Fukunaga! You have the best presents.”

“You should really stop watching so much anime,” Kuroo muttered. “Isn’t it a shoujo? Then again, you did cry at the end of Shigatsu wa kimi no Uso-“

“Shut up!”

Kai held his gift up. “It’s my turn now.” The bag he had was fairly light and when he peered into it, it was empty. He took the tissue paper out to remove two iTunes cards. “I know who this is from. Thank you, Kenma. I’ll put these to good use.”

Finally, it was the captain’s turn. There was one person left so he shot him a look before beginning to open it. He opened the bag, removed the tissue paper, and took out the object. “It’s a volleyball.”

“I couldn’t think of anything else!” Lev held his hands out defensively. “I hope you like it anyway!”

“At least it’s Mikasa.” He sighed. “Thanks, Lev. I’ll need it for the future, I’m sure.” He put the volleyball back in the bag and pushed it out of the way. “Put all the garbage together and we can toss it later.”

“I’m too comfy to move,” Yaku complained. “I’m glad we don’t have a kotetsu…although it’d be nice.”

“It’s quite warm,” Kai agreed. “Didn’t we have dessert too? Where is it?”

Kuroo closed his eyes. “In the fridge. Lev, go get it.”

“Sure!” Lev jumped to his feet and headed for the kitchen. Inuoka jumped up after him, Shibayama following to help out.

Christmas wasn’t a big holiday to any of them, but Kuroo liked using it as an excuse to spend time with the team. Sure, he already spent way too much time with them as it was, but it didn’t matter. This wasn’t going to last and he wanted as many memories as possible.

“Don’t make a mess, got it?” he called out as they distributed slices of cake. “Stay warm on your way home too and have a good Christmas.”

“It’s merry, Kuroo,” Kai said. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Is that it?”

“Close enough.”

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Hello, May I have a match up for Durarara and Free please? I'm an INFP, straight female. 18 years old. Laughs when mad as a mechanism to not openly show it. I listen to a lot of music like Kpop, Jpop, JRock, Alternative etc etc. I have green eyes and shoulder length brown hair . I'm very athletic and I work out daily. I have a few close friends but I know a lot of people. I am the older sibling to a sister who is 8 years younger than me, so I've had to be responsible for her and myself as well.

SORRY FOR THE LOOONG DELAY jfkajfkd ; u ; Thank you for being patient with our slow ass and I hope you’ll like your matches! Trying to get back into the swing of things so apologies for the short length orz

Your matches are…:

Durarara!! - Yumasaki Walker

Like you, Walker has a circle of close friends surrounding him, so it isn’t easy for either of you to communicate with one another when hidden in your own private sphere. You see Walker around Akiba instead, arms full of the latest volumes of his favorite manga and light novel series. Despite his skinny stature, he’s strong - not exactly athletic, but he’s capable of lifting. He has never stepped foot in a gym before, so when you try taking him to one, he takes off at the speed of light. At least he can run.

He acts immature when it comes to anime and manga, but he’s capable of being mature if the situation needs him to be. You can’t help but look after him since you have experience in this matter, even though Walker can take care of himself. He finds your older sister endearing, actually - he likes teasing you for it and he doesn’t mind being pampered once in a while. You tease him back by criticizing his taste in music, which often launches a debate in which artist is better. Although your interactions with him are playful, he can tell if something’s wrong when you start laughing. He can differentiate between a laugh of pure anger and a laugh of annoyance. In cases like these, he’ll act accordingly, sometimes with violence, most times not. Whatever he does, he always strive to keep you safe and happy.

Tachibana Makoto(Free!): Being a rather kind and considerate guy makes Makoto rather easyto befriend, even for more introverted people like yourself. His friendlypersonality and gentle demeanor can be rather soothing at times and with himaround, you can always feel at ease. Makoto isn’t the most outgoing personthere is, especially when compared to Nagisa, though he isn’t one to exactlyshy away from interacting with strangers either. Makoto most likely knows ofyou, and vice versa too since you know a lot of people, but that’s about it.It’s only from seeing you out and about working out that gives Makoto a chanceto actually get to know you. It could simply be a coincidence that he keepsrunning into you but given how frequent it is, Makoto utilizes that chance tospeak with you more. If you prefer to keep to yourself then Makoto will leaveyou alone, not wanting to bother or make you uncomfortable. If you’re fine withMakoto being around then, it might be slightly awkward at first due to him nothaving much of an idea on what sort of topic he can converse with you about,but after a few attempts, he’ll likely ask you about your hobbies, inparticular about your work outs. While Makoto mainly swims, he’s still interestedwhen it comes to hearing and watching other sports. Considering Rei used to beon the track team, he might even have a few comments here and there if you takepart in running.

It’d be by chance that Makoto ends up running into you andyour sister one day. He’d hesitate slightly at first, not wanting to intrude,but will still call out a greeting to you in the end, and as a result, he’dmeet your sister. Of course, he won’t stick around for long and leave afterwardsbut the next time he gets the chance to converse with you, will likely ask youabout her. He also has younger siblings of his own so this just becomes somethingthe two of you have in common and another topic to discuss. Makoto loveslistening to any stories you’re willing to share about your sister and he’d happilytell you ones of his own about his siblings. Simply listening to you talk letshim see a different side of you and he finds it to be pretty heartwarming. Ifyou ever need a hand with anything though, Makoto is more than willing to help.He’s aware that you know a lot of people and have few close friends but hesincerely hopes that you’ll be able to include him in that latter group insteadof the former.

He does admit that hearing you laugh does catches him offguard sometimes, since he’s not sure if you’re laughing at something because it’sfunny or if you’re actually mad… Even with time and having gotten to know you prettywell, there will be times he’s unsure, even when given the context.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Christmas Lottery

As per tradition, the regulars of the Fukurodani Volleyball Club gathered in the clubroom on the last day of school before winter break, each of them holding a bag or box wrapped nicely or shoddily to add to the existing pile sitting in the corner of the room. Last year, everyone received new kneepads or water bottles so this year, it seemed intuitive to get something college-related.

“It’s like a lottery, except we’re too young for that, so let’s just call it the Super-Secret Christmas Draw!” Bokuto grinned at his teammates huddled into their jackets, inches away from bumping into each other’s shoulders. He was the only one still in a T-shirt and shorts.

“Bokuto-san, please put on a jacket before you catch a cold,” Akaashi said, passing him his jacket. “Who will be the one drawing the names?”

Yukie waved at him. “I’ll do it. I’m the manager, after all. Okay, write your names down and put it in the hat.” She passed out slips of papers and pens for them, remembering to write her own name as well. She shook the hat and reached into it. “I’ll start now.”

“Already?” Bokuto asked. “I have to do the…thing! The…y’know, the captain speech! Or something.”

“Don’t force yourself,” Komi warned him. “We don’t need a speech or anything. This isn’t the end.”

“I know! It kind of feels like it! It’s the end of the year and the beginning of a new one! We gotta do our best at the Spring High and beat Itachiyama once and for all. I’m not graduating until we do.”

Konoha rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to graduate at this rate, then.”

“You’ll never know!” Bokuto replied. “Anyway, let’s do our best and win! Let’s beat Nekoma and Karasuno and whoever else we’ll face! That’s all!”

There was a small pause as the team waited for him to continue, since that was what he always did. Washio commented, “That was a good captain speech.” Onaga nodded in agreement.

“Okay, can we start now? So, I’m going to draw two names and the first name will get the second name’s present. It’s the same system as last year, so without further ado…” Yukie pulled out two slips of paper and unfolded him. “Komi, you’re getting…Washio’s gift.”

“Sweet!” Komi jumped up from the huddle to approach the presents. He examined the pile until he located Washio’s gift, which was in a large gift bag. “What’s inside? Can we open it?”

“Sure. We did that last year,” Bokuto said. Komi grinned, carefully tearing the tape off to open it. He pulled out a volleyball.

“Thanks, man! I needed a new one anyway.” He nodded his thanks to the tall middle blocker. “I would’ve preferred Mikasa though.”

Yukie shook the bag again. “Next up is…Konoha, you’re getting…Saru’s gift.”

Konoha sat back down with Sarukui’s meticulously wrapped box. He tore the wrapping paper off to remove the lid, placing it aside to shove the tissue paper out of the way. He took out a volleyball. “I guess I needed one too. Thanks, Saru.” His fellow wing spiker gave him a thumbs-up. “Are we allowed to swap? I prefer Molten.”

“Go ahead,” Washio said. The two swapped balls, looking pleased with one another.

“Next is…oh, it’s me! I’m getting Akaashi’s gift.” She jumped up to locate her present. Fortunately, the bag was too small for a volleyball, so it had to be something else. “What’s this? Stationary?” she sifted through the tissue paper to take out a notebook, a handful of pens and pencils, erasers and lead, and a pencil case. “Wow, this is a lot! Thank you, Akaashi!”

“You’re welcome.” He bowed his head politely. “I’m sorry if the colors lean toward the masculine side.”

“Don’t worry about it! I never used pink notebooks anyway.” She placed everything back and reached for the hat. “We have…Washio. You’re getting Onaga’s present.”

Washio retrieved the bag and sat down, shaking it. The weight was familiar and the shape reminded him of something. He opened it up, pulling out a volleyball. “I hate to admit it, but I needed a new one too,” he mumbled. “Thank you, Onaga.” The shy first-year ducked his head in response.

“Next up is Saru! You’re getting Komi’s present.”

“Is it a volleyball? I wouldn’t mind it if it is.” Sarukui grabbed the biggest bag from the pile and sat down. He frowned, unable to figure out what was inside. “What did you get?”

He opened it up. The package inside was wrapped, but based on the size, it had to be a bag. “Is this a bag? No, wait…a laptop bag? That’s pretty specific…it should be a bag.”

“Yep, it’s a bag! Well, backpack. It’s pretty small, so it’s like a sports bag,” Komi said. “Hope you like it!”

“Thanks, Komi. It’ll be useful for next year.”

Yukie scrambled the remaining papers inside. “Okay, Onaga, you’re getting…Konoha’s present.” He jumped up to his feet to locate his present. It was a box with the lid taped down and after he pried it free, he took it off and pulled out a volleyball.

“I couldn’t think of anything to get, so I went with the safest option,” Konoha said, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry if you were hoping for something better.”

Onaga shook his head. “No, this is perfect. Thank you, Konoha-san.”

“Yukie,” Bokuto complained. “When am I going to get my present?”

“It’s all the luck of a draw, Bo. Calm down.” She pulled out two more slips. “Now, it’s…Akaashi. You’re getting Bokuto’s gift.”

Akaashi found it easily since all that remained was a lone bag. He sat back down and opened it slowly, Hidden among the tissue paper were slips of paper and he examined them with a frown. The others gathered around him. “Are those food vouchers?” Komi asked. “Where did you get those?”

“Family connections.” Bokuto grinned. “You can never go wrong with food, right? I thought giving a volleyball to you guys would be lame, so I thought of something else. Cool, huh?” he jumped to his feet. “Looks like I’m getting your present, Yukie!”

He grabbed the remaining bag and shook it loudly. He opened it up and tossed the tissue paper aside, peering inside with hopeful eyes. The expression froze on his face when he took out the volleyball inside.

“I thought you guys would need more than one ball for practice,” Yukie explained in a small voice. “If you want, I can buy you something else-“

“Nah, that just ruins the whole thing. Thanks, Yukie. I’ll treasure it.” He held it in his hands, staring intently at it. “Actually…can you sign it? The rest of you too! Just so I know this is the one that’s the most important ball.”

A sharpie went around the huddle and Bokuto took the ball back, smiling at his teammate’s individual signatures. He held it up. “Let’s win at the Spring High,” he said. “Rest up over the break too! Have some happy holidays!”

“Happy holidays!”

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Can I have a match up in bungou stray dogs and blue exorcist. Female. Straight. Thigh long red hair. Blue eyes. I wear dresses (ones that compliment curves. I am curvy in he right areas). I like my alone time. I only approach others if they have insecurities. I have made close friends by doing this. A person has to be stubborn in talking to me for me to take interest. I tend to be that person that sits in the back reading. I am loyal. I don't complain. I am sentimental. 1/3

I don’t mind breaking rules sometimes. I like video games just for fun. <3 Spirituality and imagining possibilities. I question things for hours. I don’t believe in lying. I am honest. I am forgetful of normal things, but I remember weird things that end up being important anyway. I daydream. I am expressionless so my emotions are hard to read unless vocalized. I can be playful and sassy. I am up for doing anything with a friend. I sometimes sing, I can sing opera songs. (2/3)

My humor is memes, puns and sarcasm. I have good humor timing apparently. I have an approachable aura about me apparently. With friends: stroke their hair and put my head on their shoulder. For lovers I am tsundere. Ill stare at them cuz god I love them. I don’t mind my lover going off to do important work for days on end. I am clumsy. In dangerous situations I can spring into action and will do what I think is right for everyone. I am short. People lean on me, I joke about it. 3/3

just wanted to add these two bits: I used to be in a wheelchair, but I can walk now, its made me appreciate life more.  If my friends wish to fulfil a dream I’ll push them into it. I love animals and nature. I worry about what I can do and not what I can’t. When bored, Ill do something random

Hello, thank you for requesting! <3 I hope you enjoy your matches!

Bungou Stray Dogs - Nakajima Atsushi

As the new member of the agency, Atsushi stays close to Dazai, but the other man pushes him to get acquainted with the others. He approaches you first, greets you politely, and you respond back. For a while, Atsushi spends most of his time with Tanizaki and Kenji, occasionally Yosano, but he doesn’t actively seek you out. You let him be, but you watch from afar, knowing that beneath his soft persona is a nasty past. His attempt to befriend everyone in the agency is what drives him to interact with you more, even though he finds it difficult to read you or predict your actions. He pushes forward regardless and you begin to open up to him.

Once he breaks your shell, he’s able to see the playful and sassy side of you. You crack jokes and make puns, referencing memes whenever possible. Atsushi doesn’t understand any of the references unfortunately, so you make it your job to make him learn them. During assignments, you surprise him by how deep you can get and he wonders how you’re able to solve cases using philosophy alone. Words and critical thinking only gets so far and there are times when conflict can’t be avoided. Atsushi is best for these cases because of his ability and he tries his best to protect you, although you insist on fighting with him. The two of you protect one another and over time, you two become a strong team with an unbreakable foundation.

In your free time, you tend to spend it alone. You invite Atsushi out once in a while, hitting up cafes and restaurants for food or parks and tourist attractions for a good time. On rainy days, Atsushi likes taking you to the library to share his favorite novels, but the two of you would usually just sit in the corner to read and if something catches your attention, you’d stop to think about it. Atsushi isn’t great at philosophical debates or long talks, so his words are always slow and hesitant. The conversations usually derail and lead to various other topics, which is how both of you begin to reveal more about your past. Atsushi holds you in an even higher regard because of how you were in a wheelchair and you respect him for his resiliency and determination. The two of you are quick to become one another’s confidantes.

Atsushi is careful to respect your boundaries, always asking for permission before holding your hand or resting his head on your shoulder. He was never great with intimacy, but the peaceful atmosphere around you makes him feel like he can take things a step further. When he admits his feelings, he adds that he doesn’t have any experience with love, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He never had a concrete reason to live before you, so he strives to make you happy for years to come.

Ao no Exorcist - Okumura Yukio

Stoic and serious no matter when you catch him, Yukio acts like an adult than a teenager in every situation. He doesn’t make any effort to talk to anyone other than his brother, so he’s incredibly difficult to approach. Rin, on the other hand, befriends everyone easily, and the two of you are often together. Rin does his best to drag Yukio along and although it may seem like he’s the third wheel, he has more to talk with you than Rin does. After a while, Rin stops tagging along, proud that he helped his brother make a new friend.

Yukio remains guarded while you open up first. He rebukes your humor with aloof sarcasm and facts, although he does crack a smile once in a while. He never understands memes since they make no sense to him, even after you explain them to him. Whenever he does laugh at a meme, you try to find others similar to it to humor him. He never memes himself nor shares them, and he’ll never admit that he enjoys them way more than he should.

Both of you are experts at keeping your faces expressionless and so both of you are attuned to picking up discord through words and tone of voice. Yukio’s way of showing support is with silence - staying close to you, offering you small treats or a hand, and walking by your side. You’re more vocal and you never hesitate to ask him if anything’s bothering him. He never admits it out loud and you don’t pressure him, simply telling him you’re there for him. He eventually confesses small bits and pieces over a long period of time. You promise to never speak them aloud and that puts him at ease a bit.

Listening to you sing helps Yukio relax and he enjoys listening to you while he does his work. More often than not, the two of you will sit together in silence doing your own stuff, occasionally speaking out to engage in conversation. Yukio has a very straightforward view of life and he tries not to dwell on the heavy topics like the creation of the universe because he’ll just go in circles and give himself anxiety. He’s very factual about exorcisms and demons though and you ask him about that more than anything else because you can lead him to very philosophical topics without him realizing it. On nice days, he’ll accompany you wherever you want to go and he’ll tale you out for food afterwards, occasionally back to his dorm so Rin could cook.

Yukio has never been very intimate and he isn’t someone to initiate it. When you accidentally fall asleep on his shoulder, he doesn’t push you away and he admits that he likes that feeling. He never goes beyond the occasional hand on the shoulder or brushing of hands but when he asks if he could hug you, you don’t say no. He has no experience with relationships whatsoever, but he knows how to make you happy and he’s willing to risk his life to protect you. He’ll stay by your side no matter how you feel about him.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

The Worst Birthday Present

I have a hc that Kuroo has asthma and this came from it. I have a longer fic about it that I’m trying to write buut it might not see the light, so sorry for making you suffer on your birthday, Kuroo~~

Last year, Kuroo had the misfortune of having his birthday during a training camp. This year was no different, although now that he was a captain and had respect from the other teams, he was able to have a party during dinner, including a cake that his coaches bought. He was given birthday wishes from the first and second-years, the captains and vice-captains handed him small presents, and his team stayed behind to shower him with their love and affection.

“What am I supposed to do with all these?” Kuroo frowned at the pile of presents on the table behind them. Majority of them were stationary items, a few combs and brushes, and two volleyballs. He could probably stuff a few in Kenma’s bag without him realizing it.

“Kuroo-san, if you don’t want any of those pens, I can take them!” Lev flinched when Yaku kicked him.

“Idiot, those aren’t your presents. Geez.” Yaku shook his head. He and Kai shared a look, remembering how nothing happened last year. The team had a small celebration before bed, but the conditions that followed it had given them anxiety, so no one was too happy.

Bokuto swung an arm around Kuroo. “Don’t forget we’re going for ramen tomorrow! It’s my treat!”

“Yeah, yeah, as it has been since our first year.” Kuroo brushed him off. “Come on, we should go back to the gym and work off the cake. Help me bring the volleyballs to my room, bro?”

The others headed off first while Bokuto and Lev helped carry the presents to their room. Kuroo turned away as he coughed, shaking his head. He would’ve preferred it if his birthday was during the summer – the in-between period from summer to autumn was always hard. Fortunately, he sewed pockets on his shorts so his inhaler would be on him and not forgotten beneath a pile of towels and jackets.

Lev spoke up. “Kuroo-san, what’s the worst present you ever got?”

“The worst? Hm…” his eyes drifted to Bokuto, the spiker pretending he didn’t notice. “Well, last year…”

Coughs shook him, leaving him breathless after every spasm. Individual practice had started and Kuroo was thinking he should end it early. Today had been hard – his team had more penalties this time around and he had to use his inhaler more than twice. He hadn’t had to sit out, fortunately, but if he didn’t rest properly today, he’d pay for it tomorrow.

“Hey, Kuroo!” he looked up, realizing he was in front of the third gym. Bokuto stood at the doorway with his hands on his hips, hair beginning to deflate. “Weren’t we gonna practice together?”

Kuroo hesitated. He hadn’t turned Bokuto down before – well, more like he couldn’t. Someone had to stop his pompous ass from time to time. “Sorry, bro,” he said after a moment. “I’m going to end it early today.”

“Just a few! Please?” Bokuto begged. “It’s not fun spiking without a blocker. You’re the only one who ever practices with me, bro.”

He had a point. Kuroo sighed, knowing Bokuto would just get dejected if he refused. “Fine. It better be just a few, though. Akaashi, please make sure he keeps his word.”

“I’ll do my best.” Akaashi nodded, giving a slight bow to Kuroo when he entered. Bokuto cheered as he began to gather the balls strewn across the court.

Practicing with him gave Kuroo a sense of calm. The familiar pattern of toss, approach, jump, and spike was engrained in Bokuto and all Kuroo had to do was watch him, jump, and shift the block according to his instincts. No words were needed, just the occasional jeer, taunt, or cheer. Sweat stained the floor, balls rolled to various corners of the gym, and the occasional breeze caused them to roll off again. It was easy to lose track of time like this, so no one really knew how long it took for the bin to be emptied.

Bokuto started gathering them for another round. Akaashi wiped sweat from his forehead, eyes trailing toward Kuroo. The second-year had his hands on his knees, chest heaving. His raspy breaths echoed around them. “Kuroo-san, are you all right?” Akaashi asked.

“Yeah. Just…give me a minute.” He was wheezing. He raised his head, face pale with sweat trailing down his chin. Akaashi did his best not to flinch, his voice coming out steady and strong.

“Kuroo-san, please sit down. I’ll guide you to the bench.” Akaashi ducked under the net to approach him, but Kuroo shook his head, taking a step forward a second later. He staggered toward the bench, sinking down heavily. Akaashi kneeled in front of him. “Kuroo-san, please breathe. Do you-“ he paused, realization hitting him. “Where’s your inhaler?”

“Kuroo? Akaashi?” Bokuto approached them, a ball in his hand. His golden eyes were shining, his overjoyed expression dissolving into panic. “What’s wrong? Bro?”

Akaashi turned to face him. “Kuroo-san is having an asthma attack,” he answered calmly. “We need to find his inhaler and tell the coaches-“

“First gym,” Kuroo bit out. He turned away to cough, Bokuto flinching. He dropped the ball and flew toward the doorway,

“I’ll find it!” Bokuto shot down the walkway, speeding by the second gym to reach the first. The rebounding of balls and shouts reached him, growing louder as he approached the entrance. He grabbed the doorframe to stop himself from toppling over,

“Hey!” the Nekoma team jumped when he shouted. Heads turned to face him as he struggled to catch his breath. He looked up, yelling, “Inhaler! I’m looking for Kuroo’s inhaler, anyone’s seen it?”

Yaku lowered his ball with a frown. “I haven’t, no. Kai?” he glanced at his teammate, who was sitting on the bench. Kai quickly searched it, the members nearby helping out. “What happened? Is Kuroo-“

“He’s having an asthma attack,” Bokuto said in a rush, pointing vaguely behind him. “He’s in the third gym when it-“

“Found it!” Yamamoto exclaimed, raising the small object in the air. Yaku plucked it from his hand, wasting no time in rushing out. Behind him, Kai was instructing the first-years to run and look for their coach. Kenma remained frozen in place, the ball in his hands clutched tightly.

Bokuto turned to follow Yaku, the libero already halfway there. He started to slow down as he reached the third gym, entering as quickly but quietly as possible. Akaashi had moved aside and Yaku had taken his place, shaking the inhaler. He held it out for Kuroo, who took it and raised it to his lips. Bokuto looked away when he took a puff.

“Better?” Yaku asked. He let out a breath when Kuroo nodded. “Geez, what if we hadn’t found your inhaler? Good thing it was there and not in the cafeteria or classroom. Things would’ve gotten much worse if it was.”

“Sorry.” Kuroo’s apology was breathless. He started shaking his inhaler again.

“You better not have let your guard down just because it’s your birthday. You of all people should know that life isn’t that nice, especially if you want it to be.”

Birthday? Bokuto had completely forgotten about it. Not only did he spam his friend with birthday wishes over text, but he had been saying it every hour. Oh, man, I really screwed up.

Kai and his team arrived at the gym with their coach in tow. Akaashi nudged Bokuto to step away to give them space, the first-year shooting looks at his senpai.  “Bokuto-san-“

“It’s my fault.” Bokuto’s voice was quiet. “I’m such a bad friend.”

Akaashi was silent for a moment. He watched Kuroo apologize sheepishly to his coach as he was berated and lectured. “I don’t know if that was entirely avoidable. We should be fortunate that the attack wasn’t severe, or he may had needed to go to the hospital. You were quick to run for help, Bokuto-san.”

“Hey, Bo, Akaashi,” Kuroo called out. His team was beginning to leave, Yaku, Kai, and Kenma lingering at the doorway. “Sorry if I scared you. It was stupid of me to leave my inhaler behind. I really appreciate your help.”

“It was not a problem.” Akaashi bowed his head politely. “Please take care of yourself.”

“I will, don’t worry.” Kuroo turned to his friend. “Sorry for cutting practice short, bro. Next time-“

“Kuroo!” Bokuto flung his arms around him. He was sobbing. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to give you an asthma attack! I even knew about it and- and- please hit me! I deserve it!”

Kuroo froze momentarily, bewildered. “What’re you talking about? If you didn’t run and actually get my inhaler, I would’ve gotten worse. Besides, I was the one who said I’d practice with you – I just didn’t stop when I needed to.”

“But, if I knew, I wouldn’t have asked you in the first place…!”

“It’s okay, bro. These things happen sometimes. Don’t worry about it.” Kuroo broke away to cough. He patted his friend’s shoulder once he recovered. “See you tomorrow.”

They watched him head out with his teammates. Bokuto turned to finish gathering the balls before calling it a day himself. Akaashi knew tomorrow was going to be quiet, or maybe just a bit grayer than usual.

“…And every time I bring it up, he always get depressed.” Kuroo swung his arm around Bokuto with a smirk. “It really isn’t a big deal, bro. You have no idea how many times I’ve gotten asthma attacks during matches. Last year’s was nothing.”

“I still made you suffer on your birthday,” Bokuto muttered. “How can you not hate me?”

“Because you’re my friend? I mean, you did way worse things that I could hate you forever for, but you don’t see me holding grudges.” Kuroo stepped away to stretch his arms over his head. At his request, Nekoma and Fukurodani were having a match with their members mixed up just so the two friends could play together for once in their high school lives. “Are we all ready to go?”

Yaku shouted at them from the court. “Hurry up, Lev! We’re going to start!” Lev ran toward his team, Bokuto turning to glance at his friend. Kuroo was shaking his inhaler, taking a puff before placing it on top of his towel.

“All right, let’s get started!”

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Can I have a male & female matchup for Attack on Titan? I'm a bisexual female. I'm 5'3, very thin with a white blonde pixie cut. INTJ and Aries. I'm very introverted - not really a "people person". I have a hard time with trust and am a loner. I come off as intimidating but am very polite. I am logical and like science and computers. I exercise a lot. I adore animals. I'm stubborn and headstrong and also kinda traditionally feminine. I have bpd and suffer from depression. Thank you :)

Hello, Anon-san! Thank you for waiting, I hope you enjoy your matches! <3 Have a brilliant day!

Shingeki no Kyojin - Marco Bodt

Marco is an excellent judge for character and he sees through your intimidating front easily. He tries to befriend you with his easy personality, soft words, and gentle smile, and you turn him down as politely as you can. He doesn’t give up though and resorts to performing small tasks for you - opening the door, picking up dropped books, paying for small favors like snacks and the occasional meal, or walking you to places. You confront him one day to ask him why he wants to befriend you since he won’t benefit from it and he simply answers that it’s because he wants to. He likes you and you don’t have an answer for him. The next day, when he comes around, you let him stay.

Silence is no stranger when the two of you are together. Marco takes his time getting to know you by revealing facts about himself and prompting you to share your own stories whenever possible. He switches topics quickly to keep you engaged and he learns that you talk most when the conversation requires a bit of logic and reasoning. He’s able to match you in wit to an extent before overwhelming you with your superior knowledge. He’s impressed by how much you know and he learns something new every day.

Outings are rare with you two and Marco is the one who invites you out every time. There are days where you’d rather stay in and he’ll stay with you. On days when it’s nice out, he’ll take you to the zoo or museum - anywhere he thinks he can outsmart you. It doesn’t work, so he just enjoys the time he shares with you. He’s careful to respect your boundaries so he doesn’t initiate any physical contact at all until it’s been long enough that he’s certain you wouldn’t mind it. He doesn’t call you his girlfriend or anything without talking it out with you. Until everything is clear and both of you are certain about your feelings for one another, Marco is content to stay with you for as long as possible.

Shingeki no Kyojin - Krista Lenz

As both of you are shy, Krista tends to hover toward you, taking comfort in your silence. There are times when she tries to engage you in conversation and you politely respond, but most of the time, you keep to yourself and Krista carries on with her own work. You’re fine being on your own, yet Krista insists on staying with you, even though all she does is sit nearby. Whenever someone else - usually Ymir - comes to drag her away, she always invites you to tag along. The answer is the same every time, but Krista doesn’t give up and she continues asking until you relent. Ymir perceives you as cold and distancing at the beginning, but she eventually warms up to you, but it might be because of Krista’s insistence. After you spend more time with them, Ymir gets to see your real self.

Krista often comes off as illogical and her actions sometimes put her in danger so whenever you’re around, you prevent her from acting reckless. She tries to argue, but your logic outsmarts hers easily and she has no other choice but to obey. There are times when she manages to convince you to help her with her plans and you only follow through with them if it won’t endanger either of you. She’s selfless, even though she has her reasons.

In your free time, the two of you will be out and about exploring the city, walking through the zoos, or visiting animal shelters. Ymir likes crashing these dates, shooting you looks every time you look over at Krista. Ymir tolerates you, but that’s about it, and you respect her decision without trying too hard to persuade her otherwise. Krista doesn’t try to bridge the gap between you two either, simply choosing to ignore Ymir and go out with you without telling her. The awkward atmosphere that followed Ymir is suddenly lifted and the two of you begin enjoying each other’s company more and more.

Neither of you figure out you have feelings for one another since your relationship remains steady and consistent. Krista is first to initiate contact by holding your hand and you follow her lead from then on. Both of you are fine with the relationship moving as slow as it is - neither of you are in a rush, after all. Love is forever so there’s no harm in stretching it over the years.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Quiet!

“Why are you/we whispering?”  / Hinata + Kageyama

Again, I’m sorry this isn’t a pairing fic, but I hope you’ll enjoy first-year shenanigans ^^

Daichi would've preferred using their clubroom for their meeting, but one thing led to another and he had no choice but to invite the team to his house. It was close to the school so it was relatively easy to find - that was what he hoped anyway.

"Good morning, Captain!" Hinata chirped when Daichi opened the door. The bright-haired middle blocker was with Kageyama, who nodded in greeting.

"Good morning. The other first-years are already here - we just need to wait for the others." Daichi gestured them inside, guiding them toward the staircase. The lights were off on the first floor and a gentle snoring drifted toward them from down the hallway. "Don't mind my grandfather," he said when the duo looked anxious. "He's a heavy sleeper so we won't bother him."

Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Yachi were seated around a low table, cups of tea placed in front of them. "Good morning," Yachi said, Yamaguchi echoing her. Tsukishima remained silent, as usual.

Daichi poured two more cups for Hinata and Kageyama before checking his phone, frowning at the message he received. He let out a sigh. "I'm going to go out for a bit and pick up the others - Nishinoya got them lost. Don't move, okay? The washroom is at the end of the hall if you need it. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Their captain headed out, the door closing shut behind him. The first-years exchanged looks with one another, Tsukishima scowling. Hinata shot him a look. "What's that look for?"

"If we're not going to talk, I'm going to listen to music." He took his headphones out from his bag. Even Yamaguchi resisted the urge to take his phone out.

"We should explore!" Hinata said, climbing to his feet. "I never been here before. Do you think Captain would have a volleyball around?"

"Obviously, dumbass," Kageyama responded. "What volleyball player wouldn't have one at home?"

"Um, I don't think it's a good idea to explore," Yamaguchi said. "Sawamura-san did say not to move."

"Knowing you two, you'll just break something," Tsukishima added. "I don't think he'll appreciate coming back to broken furniture."

Yachi did her best to calm them all down. "Now, now, let's just sit back down and…and talk! We should talk."

"Um, Yachi-san, there's nothing to talk about," Yamaguchi said.

"Midterms! Have you been studying?" Yachi asked.

Tsukishima smirked. "I have, but who knows about the two simpletons?"

"I've been studying!" Hinata protested.

"I've been studying more!" Kageyama insisted.

"It's not a contest…" Yamaguchi tried saying.

"Kageyama, let's have a contest to see who scores the highest mark on the midterms!"

"I'm smarter, so there's no contest."

"I'm gonna prove you wrong!"

"Shh!" Yamaguchi said suddenly. All eyes turned to face him. "Did you hear that?"

There was a brief silence. "Hear what?" Tsukishima asked.

"That…there! Again." His voice got quieter. "It's like…someone is trying to break something…"

"Is s-someone breaking in?" Yachi asked frantically. "We're safe in here, right? Right?"

"Sawamura-san's grandfather is downstairs," Tsukishima said. "If someone really is trying to break in, he'll notice and call the police."

"What can an old man do?" Kageyama asked.

"Kageyama! That's rude," Hinata exclaimed.

"It's true though, right?"

"Keep your voices down! What if they hear us?" Yachi whispered. "We might be killed! Or, or, something equally bad-!"

The boys kept quiet. The noise continued, occurring every so often, until it finally stopped. "Did they give up?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Let's hope so," Yamaguchi whispered.

"Why are we whispering?" Tsukishima asked.

"Shh! What if…what if they managed to get inside?" Yachi rasped. "We're done for…!"

"Should we go check?" Kageyama asked.

"Good idea. Go ahead, king," Tsukishima said. "We'll wait here."

"Hah? I'm not going out there by myself!"

"Keep quiet!" Hinata hissed. "What if-"

"We're back!" the door slid open and Daichi appeared at the entryway. Yachi let out a scream, Yamaguchi and Hinata echoing her. Tsukishima was caught off-guard but he didn't react, Kageyama included. Daichi stared at them. "What happened?"

"Sawamura-san, wasn't someone trying to break in?" Kageyama asked.

Daichi gave him a look. "What do you mean?"

"There was a noise! Like…like someone was trying to break in!" Yamaguchi exclaimed. "W-we thought someone was trying to get inside."

"Nobody was outside," Suga spoke up, "and Daichi's grandfather is chopping wood in the back. Maybe that's what you heard?"

Yachi blinked away tears in her eyes. "Chopping…wood?"

"He does woodworking in his free time. Hear that?" the first-years fell silent, hearing the noise again. "That's him. No one's trying to break in."

"Oh…" the first-years let out a collective breath.

"All right, now that that's settled, let's start the meeting." Daichi and the rest of the team gathered around the table, the others squishing altogether. The comfort their upperclassmen brought was enough to bring the first-years at ease, allowing them to forget the whole fiasco.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

You’re Not Alone

kuroko tetsuya x reader

Kuroko is a shadow. He never fails to remind his teammates about this, always repeating it with a blank expression and monotone voice. He feels emotions, sure, but that would only draw attention to himself. In order to excel at the sport he loves, he has to keep a straight face.

No one notices him slip out once cleanup is finished. He lets out a breath and raises his head, blinking at the empty courtyard and street beyond the school gates. He slows down, half-expecting Kagami to call him out and invite him to Maji Burger, but then he remembers the coach is keeping him back for extra practice. He has the entire evening to himself.

When he reaches the school gates, a voice catches him by surprise. “Kuroko-kun!”

He turns at the same time you approach him. You catch your breath as you raise your head at him with a smile. “Let’s walk home together.”

“Oh, good evening.” Kuroko remembers seeing you briefly during practice talking to the coach. “Okay.”

The two of you walk side by side down the street, “You’re really amazing, Kuroko-kun,” you say. “I’ve never seen anyone make passes like that. The rest of the team must be amazing to be able to catch them too.”

He blinks at you in disbelief. You catch his eye and he turns away, hiding the blush in his cheeks. “Thank you for the compliment,” he says quietly. “Passing is all I can do to help the team. I can’t do anything else though...”

“Don’t say that! Passing is important in basketball,” you insist. “You’re fast and even though you look weak, you must be pretty strong too. Hurtling a basketball across the court isn’t easy.”

“Compared to the others, my abilities aren’t impressive,” Kuroko says. “I’m happy you think otherwise, but it’s the truth.”

You take a few steps forward so that you’re facing him directly. “Whenever I’m watching a match, my eyes always follow you. Sometimes I lose you - that’s the whole point of your misdirection, after all - but whenever I find you again, you’re a blur. You move fast and you get the ball to the best possible spot. You help your teammates score. They need you to win. Don’t think so lowly of yourself, Kuroko-kun. You might be a shadow, but you’re an important shadow.”

He lowers his eyes to avoid the fire burning in yours. He’s silent for a moment and when he raises his head again, a small smile is on his face. “Thank you. Thank you for watching too.”

“Seirin’s matches are always exciting! You tip the balance and that’s what gets the audience riled up. Come on, let’s go to Maji Burger - I’ll buy you a vanilla shake.”

You start walking again and he follows after a moment of hesitation. “How did you know I like the shakes?”

“I see you order the same thing whenever I go there. You should really eat the burgers one day or you’ll never build any muscle.”

He chuckles softly. “Which one do you recommend?”

You join him in a quick snack, sitting in one of the booths by the window - his usual seat. He watches the sidewalk for Kagami, but the fiery giant doesn’t show up by the time he finishes. He holds the door open for you and you thank him, walking toward the street. You turn to him. “You have a match coming up, right? I’ll be watching. Good luck.”

“Thank you.” Kuroko bows his head slightly. “Thank you for the meal, too. I had a fun time with you.”

“Same. Let’s do it again after you win.” You wave at him, pivoting to walk in the opposite direction. “Good night, Kuroko-kun.”

“Good night.” Kuroko waves but hesitation gleams in his eyes. You give him a look and he meets your eyes fully. “Thank you for...thank you for noticing me.”

You smile. “You’re welcome.” He’ll never be alone again so long you’re around.

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Hello!, I sent a matchup request for danganronpa and snk about 4-3 months ago. I could've sworn that it hadn't been answered but since you mentioned in your latest update that you have no matchups anymore I was wondering if it was answered and if it was could you redirect me towards it since I can't seem to find it. If it hasn't then that's fine 😅. Sorry if this may sound a bit rude but I just wanted to know, sorry for the bother and thank you ☺️

Hello, Anon-san! I’m sorry, what I meant to say was our queue is running out and we still have match-ups to do. ^^; The queued items let us post consistently but now that there’s almost nothing left, there may be further delays in requests and whatnot.

Sorry for the confusion! I hope this makes sense~~

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Shiratorizawa: Love Live Headcanons

Ushijima:

best girl: Dia

downloaded the game b/c of Tendou’s constant urging

doesn’t get the point of the game

you tap the girls’ faces?? why?? how is it fun??

he could be resting, doing homework, or practicing volleyball instead of playing

still checks out the game from time to time since his teammates talk about it occasionally

can’t figure out why it’s an enjoyable game

barely has love gems for scouting since he rarely logs in or plays

was once challenged to play a song on EX by Goshiki to see who can get the highest combo and immediately died RIP

his team’s just one R center and Ns

what were the others expecting??

really likes to listen to Mattete Ai no Uta

Semi:

best girl: Nozomi

best subunit: lily white & AZALEA tie

lowkey very competitive during events (usually top 3 out of everyone on the team)

has pretty balanced teams so he doesn’t get rekt during score matches when it comes to score tiering

saves all his seals since he prefers to wait to get another copy before idolizing

uses any scouting tickets and blue tickets right away since they usually always result in disappointment

do not use the SSR/UR or UR boxes !!! not worth it!!! (nobody listens to him)

likes the music more than the gameplay and has download a few songs to listen to

yells at Tendou when they play Nakayoshi Match together since “it’s Sentimental Steps. How can you not full combo that? You have a lot of perfect locks!”

Reon:

best girl: Eli

best subunit: Printemps

casual player and likes to play to relax

can get a bit competitive during certain events but usually just chills and tries to get the first copy of the event SR

pretty lucky when it comes to scouting; has yet to get a 1SR pull

somehow managed to always get 1 UR from a birthday step up scout

best girl blesses his account and he has all her smile URs

OP smile team b/c of ^

everyone relies on him carrying them to SS rank during Nakayoshi Match when it’s a score challenge

kind of wants to attend an actual concert one day if he ever had the money for it and someone would go with him

likes majority of the songs, events, cards, and the game in general

Tendou:

best girl: Mari

best subunit: Guilty Kiss

saw the game on Top Grossing chart on the app store and downloaded it out of curiousity

didn’t expect much but actually had a lot of fun with it and kept playing it

talks to the rest of the team about it and tries to get them to play

has been playing the game the longest but has the fewest URs

has more URs of Semi’s best girl than Semi does and likes to rile him up by “reminding” him of that fact sometimes

likes to get Ushijima to scout for him since always get 1SR pulls feelsbadman

somehow managed to get enough dupes of Christmas Ruby SR to fully slot her and max her skill level

always the first to inform the others of new events

the one to start making private rooms for Nakayoshi Match and posting the code in the Shiratorizawa group chat on LINE

spams the Nico Nico Ni sticker

usually the one to not FC when it’s a combo challenge

Goshiki:

best girl: Rin

really /really/ into the game

actually reads all the stories instead of skipping to get the G and love gem

took him a few months of playing and scouting before getting his first UR

SSS’ed all songs on all the lower difficulties before moving on to trying EX songs

tried Master songs and ahahah... especially the dailies, but he’s going to keep trying!!!

is happy whenever he ranks up since more LP

enjoys all the events so far but actually likes score match even tho his ranking is garbo

gets really happy when Tendou invites him to his private Nakayoshi Match room

challenged Ushijima to an EX song and was unsatisfied when captain-san immediately died

what did he expect tho?? dude doesn’t play

tried listening to Semi and use his blue tickets on SR/UR box only but 20% lie so he’s trying to save for the UR only box

sometimes can be heard humming/singing some of the songs

Shirabu:

best girl: Maki

has the strongest and most balanced teams out of everyone on the team

bought a few of the monthly and special packs especially for the titles

on his way to becoming a whale??

very competitive during events but doesn’t let it show

always only plays after practice and when he’s done all his homework

if a teammate is #1 on friend ranking list, he likes to wait until they’ve gone to bed and then play a whole bunch so he’ll be ahead of them

probably rank 200+ from grinding token events

internally ticked off at whoever broke combo/got a shitty score for Nakayoshi Match (usually @ Tendou)

won’t admit that he actually likes the game

token events + osanpo rally are his fav just because of 4x multiplier

Shocking Party is his bff

blessed with scorers which makes his teams even more OP

only friends people ingame that have centers that benefit him

Taichi:

best girl: Umi

either very casual and just logs in, empties LP and is done, or spends hours playing (usually during events if he cares)

medfest + osanpo rally = snoozefest

has actually fallen asleep while playing before RIP LP

forgot a few times that he’s actually on the second song for medfest, gets distracted, and is then greeted with a failed live screen

usually doesn’t join Tendou’s private rooms for Nakayoshi Match b/c he just doesn’t feel like it (Tendou always asks him about it afterwards)

blows his N stickers on blue tickets asap

tries to save up to 25 for guaranteed UR but is usually tempted by the SSR/UR box

has never gotten a UR from BTs

his cool team is his strongest team and usually carries him into T1 song rankings, except for score match b/c RIP mmr

likes to solo yolo a bit too much and usually regrets it afterwards

Yamagata:

best girl: Kanan

tries to spend his LP when he can but often forgets and when he loses his phone... RIP

can get competitive during chafest since #bestevent but otherwise just plays as much as he can

messages Goshiki in game to cheer him on when he’s trying to be first during the event out of everyone on the team

also usually doesn’t join Tendou’s private rooms for Nakayoshi Match, mostly because he doesn’t check LINE until way afterwards

has all the BDs of the Lives (μ’s + Aqours) and likes to rewatch them

learns the dance moves they teach and dances along with them, if he’s alone...

likes to scout in limited boxes b/c rate up is a lie

has at least 1 UR for each of his teams

pure team is best team

trying to make a full team of best girl but she won’t come home

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Hey! I'd like to thank you for my match-ups! They were so cute and really well-written. I also really liked that they had a bit of a story element to them rather than just who you like me with and why because I really needed a pick-me-up today and having some of a story definitely helped. You're amazing! -Smile

Ahhh thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! <3 I had a ton of fun writing your matches so I’m relieved they turned out great :3 Have a good day, Smile-san!

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Hello! Winter-anon here, I asked earlier about my matchup but apparently you haven't gotten it? Sorry if I seem a bother but I'm just curious if there was something wrong with my request

o u o Are you referring to this question we answered a while back? We have your request and there’s nothing wrong with it ^^

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Update

Hello, everyone! We hope you had a safe and fun Halloween <3 We just want to update you on our writing progress and whatnot~~

There are three more items in our queue - none of them are match-ups, unfortunately. This semester has been rough for both of us and most free time we have was spent doing course readings as well as rereading Haikyuu and playing Touken Ranbu.

However, it’s November now, which is also NaNoWriMo! I’ll do my best to write 1-2 match-ups a week and I have smaller drabbles I can write while commuting back and forth. I won’t guarantee any of these will go up on time since I have a huge fanfic I’m focusing on, so I ask for your patience and support <3

Stella says she’ll be dead until the end of the semester, but her match-ups are worth waiting for!

We apologize for the extra wait and we hope you’ll be satisfied with the end result all the same c:

Good luck to those in school, those participating in NaNo, and please have a great day to everyone else!