Thread by @messymiso

yamaguchi who joins a dating show along the lines of the b/achelorette for money and because he didn’t have anything else to do and tsukishima who gets thrown in there because someone (bokuro) sign him up for it behind his back

bokuto and kuroo have some solid blackmail material to keep him from dropping out but even if he has to participate, kei is absolutely miserable and does NOT lift a finger to even attempt and court the woman in the middle of the show

meanwhile tadashi tries at least because well, money is money, but the really really attractive really really cocky really really intriguing blonde makes it a little hard to stay focused with every day that passes

(i’ve never seen any of these shows but i think the contestants share rooms) and they have their beds next to each other and each day the tension between them growsssss

when they have group dates they find themselves next to each other, passing the time in comfortable harmony while the rest of the men fight their heads off for the trophy

kei is handsome enough to not be voted off and the audience lOVES him despite his nature (probably because of it) and tadashi tries enough to slip through the first few weeks and they’re both kinda happy because it means they can

stay in their little bubble, the two of them in the middle of a testosterone minefield, exposed to the world and still safer than they could ever be

kei gets kicked off eventually. it’s inevitable with his disinterested, and no one is particularly surprised. still, tadashi feels like a hole was ripped through his chest. they don’t have an way to contact each other while he’s still in the show +

and he’s not sure kei even still /wants/ to see him after this. maybe he just stuck to him because it was better than being lonely. maybe he just imagined it all.

the b/achelorette notices his 180 in mood and pulls him to the side at some point to talk, just the two of them. the cameras are rolling, tadashi is aware. she asks anyway.

“you’re not here for me, are you?”

tadashi swallows drily. he looks away.

“not anymore. sorry alisa.”

she laughs lightly. it’s beautiful and any other man would have probably melted on the spot, but tadashi’s heart aches for something - someone - else.

“thought so.”

tadashi walks away that night with a heavy head. this is it. he’s getting kicked, he just outed himself in front of the whole country, and still no sign from kei.

for what? for nothing. he’s done. ruined.

only- the next day, alisa invites him on another date. a one on one. tadashi is incredibly confused.

they drive away from the villa they’ve spent so many weeks in, approaching a date site in silence. tadashi is truly at a loss for words.

is this a weird new way to kick him?

he doesn’t know. alisa just smiles at him knowingly, a weird, mischievous glint in her eyes, but at this point, tadashi is too exhausted to even ask.

they pull up to a beautiful mountainside restaurant overlooking vineyards and the valley, sunset low and rosy, but tadashi can’t even appreciate the sight.

the driver drops them off and alisa leads the way inside. there’s a table, two chairs, classic candlelight dinner.

he can’t do this. this is too much. why, why, why is she doing this?

“alisa, i’m sorry, i don’t think-“

“hush,” she interrupts. “sit down, i’ll get freshened up. i promise you’ll like your surprise. just you wait.”

she leaves him alone with a little wave and another knowing smile, and unease is boiling under tadashi’s skin.

he sits down and starts drinking the wine on the table in bigger gulps than appropriate for a nation wide television broadcast, but he needs something to soothe his nerves.

could he just run away? it seemed very appealing right now to just leg it down the mountain but-

“yamaguchi?”

great. he is already starting to hallucinate.

tadashi turns towards the voice anyway, just to double check.

he blinks. once, twice. he rubs his eyes.

tsukishima is still standing in front of him. he looks like a dream, more dressed up than he’d ever been on the show before, and it’s nothing more short of an angelic image.

he clears his throat, fiddling with the sleeves of his pressed white dress shirt awkwardly.

“would you like to go on a date with me?”

// and they live happily ever after! because i say so :)