Author's note: So I guess this is the long awaited chapter where they finally meet. Also, some feedback or critique would be great because I'd like to know what I'm doing well or what I can improve in.

Thank you to those who have previously reviewed! It makes me very happy knowing that you like this story as much as I do. If I haven't gotten back to your review or pm, please give me some time!

I hope the characterization is not poorly done here because it's mostly in Tsukki's perspective this time around. Please enjoy.

x

Chapter three: with a probability of 0.00625

It's been a week since Tsukishima had started high school, and a week since Momi had sent him that text message. He had hastily typed out a simple 'me too'. Before he could change his mind, he pressed 'send'.

Tsukishima instantly regretted it.

He must admit that for the whole week, there has been a constant gnawing at him from the back of his mind, he feels as though someone is watching him, and maybe he has caught himself turning around to check behind him a few too many times. Maybe his muscles are more tense than usual and maybe he's been more restless than he usually is. If yamaguchi notices anything, he doesn't say so, which Tsukishima is grateful for. He doesn't want to bring this up at all.

In fact, he doesn't want to acknowledge that this is real.

Up till now, Tsukishima's online friendship with Momi was nothing he thought much about. She was just someone with no face, a fake name, the distance between Miyagi and Nagasaki being 1, 411 kilometers. It's a 10 hour journey by train, and maybe he's being a little silly, but Tsukishima never imagined that he would ever meet her in his life. Perhaps when they're older and working, they'd cross paths at train stations - but what are the chances? They'd walk past each other without the knowledge of it.

But right now - she's here. She's here and she's real and she knows things about Tsukishima. Sure they don't know how the other looks, but there are 5 classes, 200 students in total. He has about a 0.005 chance of meeting her if it were a one time thing, but Karasuno is going to be his school for the next three years.

From his observations in the past week, it doesn't seem that Momi is in his class. Of course, he's making the assumption that

1. She can draw the link between 'Tsukki' and 'Tsukishima'.

2. Similar to Tsukishima, she had the characters 'Momi' in her name.

3. She would react to seeing 'Tsukki' in real life.

Of course there were other assumptions being made, such that Momi is indeed a girl, or that she really is schooling at Karasuno, amongst other things. But to Tsukishima, it made no sense to lie about these, and from what he could deduce of her (that she was at least honest, if not bright enough to lie about herself), he was pretty sure there was no harm in believing them to be true.

Tsukishima thinks he's overthinking this. He's been much too aware of his surroundings, as if at any moment she may appear. He even tensed slightly at the mention of his classmate's name during homeroom on the first day. Her name was Fujisaki Satomi, and mishearing it on his part caused an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

It wasn't like Momi was out to get him, but who knew what kind of person she was in real life? So maybe Tsukishima had trust issues, but he's not going to cancel out the possibility of her earnest nature being fabricated. You can never be too careful, he thinks.

Tsukishima doesn't have any secrets that can be used against him, or at least he thinks he doesn't, and that puts him more at ease. The worst Momi could use against him was probably taunts about Akiteru, but the thought alone already causes a fiery displeasure to settle in his chest.

Tsukishima curses himself for being slightly too honest with his feelings when talking to her.

The honesty had first started out as childish innocence when he was 10, and later due to his resignation to the fact that she would never know who he was.

Or so he thought.

Tsukishima hasn't checked his text messages from her in a week and he hopes that assumption number 3 is wrong. Perhaps she doesn't want to meet him either. After all, she's never expressed any interest in them meeting up or even anything that could remotely remove their online anonymity.

…

Maybe she's been lying.

….

When osoji rolls around, Tsukishima has decided that he's had enough of weighing the pros and cons of Momi not being in his class (the pro being that his chances of running into her is less because the only time he's out of class is before and after school, and when he needs to use the toilet, while the con is that there is now a 0.00625 chance of meeting her when he passes through the corridors during curriculum time).

He seriously needs to stop overanalyzing the situation.

After dismissal, he quickly gathers his books before leaving the classroom. Tsukishima tries to appear calm and collected, but there's a certain air of haste around him that causes other students to part for him.

Tsukishima's mind feels dense, like his brain has reached his maximum capacity for that day and it's as though he can't think of anything else anymore. He's so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had forgotten Yamaguchi and had left him behind. Tsukishima's step falters, and he vaguely wonders if he should turn back and wait for him.

A familiar "Tsukki!" rings through the corridors, and Tsukishima should've guessed that Yamaguchi would've taken the initiative to catch up to him.

He turns, expecting to see Yamaguchi's running form coming towards him from the end of the hallway, and Tsukishima predicts that his cowlick will be bobbing ridiculously.

Instead, an unfamiliar lilt stops him mid-turn.

"Tsukki?"

It's unfamiliar, yes, but Tsukishima feels as though he's heard this voice before, like he has heard it from somewhere.

And then he remembers it.

Six months ago.

"H-Hello? Tsukki?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Uhm, I'm going to hang up now-"

"Yamaguchi is upset, and I don't know what to do."

"What happened?"

"... I might have said some things."

Present.

Tsukishima remembers that voice, he remembers it; it's hers, he knows it is and that means she's standing right there beside him.

He had stopped mid-turn, eyes landing directly on her. It's the first time he's ever seen her, and if he had to describe her in a word, it'd be 'pale'. She's pale, and she barely reaches past his shoulders, and the only other thing that registers in Tsukishima's mind is 'this is her' and 'she's right in front of me'.

Tsukishima feels anxiety bubble up in him. He hates this feeling, hates how he reacts, as if he's fearful and afraid. He's not afraid of her, definitely not, but he doesn't want 'friendship'. Tsukishima knows what's wrong with him, understands why he's acting like this, irrational as it may be.

But he doesn't want to be lied to again, doesn't want to be disappointed..

So he shuts 'connections' out.

Tsukishima's taunting personality was hardly useful in making friends, and his spiteful attitude towards avoiding disappointment certainly doesn't help.

Right now, in the forefront of his mind, Tsukishima was formulating ways to deal with this situation.

She wouldn't recognize him based on his voice. His voice had gotten a little deeper since that one phone call they had six months ago. There's still an resemblance, obviously, but she has only heard his voice once, and it'd be difficult to make out the similarities with his normally curt and clipped replies. Tsukishima didn't think he'd ever say this, but puberty was actually useful.

This wasn't the time for amusement or jokes, though; Tsukishima's mind was in overdrive.

He tries to think of a way out of this, a viable way to get rid of her. He could act confused, cut her off before she could say anything and walk away. He could rile her up, maybe, as a distraction of sorts. Perhaps she was the kind who tended to be shy - if he walked away now she would just let him.

He's overthinking things again. He's been quiet for too long now, he knows. The anxiety builds, and he knows Yamaguchi has caught up with him by now. Tsukishima can feel the other's questioning guys burning holes into his back, waiting for something to happen.

Those aren't the only set of eyes he feels boring into him.

He feels pressurized. Tsukishima needs to say something - anything, to make an excuse, to leave, to deny - he needs to say something.

He feels his mouth open, and the words tumble out before he can stop them.

"You're shorter than I expected."

Tsukishima wants to slap himself.

Those were not the words he had been looking for, and definitely not the words he had been expecting. Those words have left him stunned, but at least he's not the only one who's surprised. If their faces were anything to go by, she and Yamaguchi both looked as shocked as he was. He isn't sure how to save himself anymore, isn't sure if that's possible at this point. What's worse is that she looks as though she wants to say something, and he's drawing up blanks in his brain as to what the best course of action should be now.

So he stops himself. Tsukishima doesn't think. For once, he lets his instinct take control, let's his body move on it's own.

He walks away.

He walks away quickly, so quickly that Yamaguchi has to practically run in order to catch up with him.

He's almost round the corner when he hears that lilt again.

"Uhm, wait-!"

Tsukishima doesn't look back.

x

End notes: Thank you for reading and reviews are very much appreciated! You can find fic updates on my tumblr ( writinghomunculus ) or you can feel free to chat with me about Haikyuu! there as well. Thank you very much once again!