Nov 8, 2015 1:03 PM
inability ; necessity
Anime Relations:
Haikyuu!!
Another fic I will never complete, yaay ~
This entry will be updated periodically. Since I will probably drop it sometime, I am posting everything I have on MAL, but if I write 50% of the fic and it is doing well, I might start posting it on FF.Net and AO3... Very rough and needs polishing.
Rated: T, Pairings: Kageyama x Hinata (BROTP, platonic OTP, i don't even know...) and maybe some more implied BROTP pairs, who knows...
Current Title: inability; necessity / my heart's cold but my hands are warm
Synopsis: Nothing is essential until you start yearning for it. Like the light at the end of a dark, dark tunnel, by the time you reach it, it's irreplaceable. However, a spark in the heart is necessary for a flame to be born.
Some random stuff: Hinata usually tells the truth, but recently he hasn't been telling his friends the complete truth, afraid of harming them and himself. On many days, he leaves the gym early, and no one really knows why: this never happened a year ago.
Notes to Self:
+ change Koji to Kouji to be consistent
+ Izumi > Shou-chan, Kouji > Shouyou
+ read the manga again to better characterize Izumi and Kouji. They are a little OOC at the moment.
+ the part starting with "Izumi had asked before" is a little awkward and disrupts the flow. Change this sometime.
Story under cut:
"I can't stay long."
It was always those four words, spoken with a clear tone and a face that shone with underlying gratefulness. A hint of a pained smile on his cheeks, and the shaking of his hands, undeniably there and yet barely noticeable.
He said them at the start of practice. The girls that let him share the gym nodded knowingly, and said, without any ulterior motive at all, that it wasn't necessary for him to repeat himself each and every day. But to him, it was important, and it continued until the words gradually melted in with the background noise of shouting and of balls bouncing onto the gym floor.
A smartphone rested on the bench, its surface muddled with fingerprints. Fingerprints left from hastily swiping open the lock screen, from tapping out long sequences of letters, from brushing off dust and water. The phone was always there, too. Notifications set to the charming chime of a bell, it was almost an item of security, kept close to him so he would be able to answer appropriately to a pending message whenever the need was present.
His first necessity. It didn't matter that games would sometimes crash when he left them on standby for too long, or that his music application would glitch at odd intervals, showing songs twice on the list; rather, he didn't seem to care. As long as means of contact was available, he was happy with it. And each day, he would exit the same gym doors, with the same smile, with his phone tucked in his pocket, and run out of the school building, breathing laboured and sweat gleaming on his forehead.
It had become such a familiarity, these words, the phone and the rush out the door, that it was no longer strange when drops of water were found, condensed into a single puddle, on the phone's screen. Or that his eyes, as bright and innocent as they were, were slightly tinted red whenever the girls noticed him walking through the gym doors. It was considered normal when Izumi rounded the corner and peeked into the classroom, only to find his friend deeply asleep on his desk, a trail of saliva leaking from the corner of his mouth. Surprisingly quiet and taking in just enough air each time he took a breath, as if to conserve energy, it was a sharp contrast to the loud and energetic student who had knocked over Koji's lunch by accident, once too many times. Koji complained, anger rising as he listed off, in his mind, every time his lunch had been destroyed just because one kid couldn't sit down properly. But as always, he was unable to put these thoughts into words, as he watched the erratic movements of the boy seated in front of him, apologizing profusely. Put it simply, it would feel horrible if he had uttered his indignant words of complaint, and Koji would be unable to consider himself a good friend. Instead, he dampened his harsh tone and bit back as many words he could do away with. Losing his lunch caused him unexplainable frustration, but he reckoned losing his friend would feel a thousand times worse.
Izumi had asked before. It was a tentative question, asked on a tentative day, when his friend had just come out of the classroom with test questions weighing his head down. The sky had been painted entirely grey, as if the artist had mixed all of his paints together and didn't have any blues left. It had been a day off from basketball club, as the coach was ill and the school didn't have a substitute, considering how small and unknown the school was. The fact that he lived in such a rural area of a minor city was also a factor, and Izumi often wondered what it would be like to live in a bustling metropolis, or at least somewhere within his current city that had more exposure to the outside world. The issue of having a small school also affected his friend greatly. There just simply weren't enough people in Yukigaoka Middle School that had the same burning passion his friend had.
His friend had greeted him that day, saying that the gym was closed today and that he could finally accompany Izumi on the way home, a rare occurrence that Izumi missed hugely but never had the heart nor the courage to tell. Izumi remembered the way the boy talked, fast and often tripping over words that shouldn't have been an issue. He remembered how he put a stop to the rambling, how his friend froze at the mention of his name, how Izumi's voice had sounded rougher and more worried than usual. How the sky seemed to detect this tension and darkened its colours to fit the mood. He remembered the feeling of betrayal in his chest, a feeling of anguish that he had spoken too early and the fact he'd even spoken at all. He also remembered a strange emotion overpowering the guilt: one of urgency, of confidence, a voice that urged Izumi to spill his curiosity out, a gut feeling telling him it was important that Izumi, and Koji, and the rest of Shouyou's friends to know why Hinata was the way he was. Why he slept more during class, why his smiles were sometimes fake and losing its signature warmth, and why he hadn't told anyone his troubles, if there were any to begin with.
Izumi wasn't sure why he was left unsatisfied with the answer that came out of Shouyou's mouth.
Relationships are built around trust and honesty. Without the two, a relationship would be out of balance, and would leave damaging scars, ones nearly impossible to repair. The answer Hinata gave was well within that range; it was straightforward, exactly like Hinata's personality, and more importantly, it was the plain truth. But it had left Izumi hanging, hopeful for more. And when Izumi had told Koji, all Koji did was purse his lips into a thin line and shake his head.
"He doesn't trust us enough, does he?" Koji's voice was bordering on anger again, and it fluctuated on the word "trust" just enough for Izumi to empathize with Koji's worry.
Hinata was always trying to smile. He fought hard against the urge to take a nap during class, and he managed to eat all of his lunch during break. His homework was messy, with incomprehensible scribbles in the margins, and his notes were as organized as a box full of toys you used to play with as a kid, but he'd have at least a half of that day's assigned homework done when he arrived to class. He was trying his best, fighting as much as his little body could give, to live his life as happily as he could, and this outgoing attitude directly affected everyone around him as well. Izumi had seen it happen before; Shouyou was greatly competent at complimenting and saying the right thing in any situation possible, and with such confidence even for people he didn't even know. It was something that Izumi and Koji admired, the way Shouyou would battle with everything he had, whatever the risk, and emerge victorious.
"...I think you're wrong, Koji." Izumi had his head lowered, so Koji couldn't quite see what expression Izumi wore. Izumi was the quiet, unassuming type, who sometimes found it hard to voice his opinions and questions, and hid them, tucking them into a crevice in his heart. Koji knew that Izumi was probably hiding his true feelings on the topic again. The way he was avoiding Koji's intense gaze by looking at the floor proved enough. But Koji wasn't ready when Izumi lifted his head back up, brown eyes resting on Koji's with a solidity Koji was unfamiliar with.
"Shou-chan's been like this since we met him, hasn't he." Izumi's brow was furrowed; he was giving it his all to be able to say this. He inhaled deeply, and continued, voice changing from one of stability to one that was hurried, and louder than Koji was used to:
"He's always been looking out for us, hasn't he? Remember that one time he volunteered to accompany you back home, because you had a twisted ankle from soccer practice?"
Koji barely managed a stiff nod, frightened by his friend's ernesty.
"You yelled for him not to, that he had plans of his own that day, but he insisted. When I wasn't able to come to school, he gave me a copy of his notes that he'd prepared beforehand, knowing I'd need them the next day. He even apologized how messy it was. And I should've been the one apologizing, that he'd wasted so much time on something I could've copied myself. Even before Shou-chan started having troubles he was kind to us. He treated us as friends, Koji. Because we are his friends." Izumi was so into his arguement, he'd forgotten to take a breath, and now he was coughing. Koji opened his mouth to say something, to tell Izumi to calm down before he hurt himself, but Izumi waved a hand in front of Koji's face, and continued. "He trusted us, and I'm sure he still does! So please, don't make it more difficult than it actually is. Don't say that he doesn't trust us, because," Izumi smiled, with a faraway look that could almost classify as pleading, "you know in your heart that's not true, right?"
Izumi's breathing was heavy. His strength and energy that had propelled him to say so much seemed to leave him in an instant, and his foot slid to the edge of the wall to prevent him from collapsing. Leaning against the cold wall, he said again, "Well?", but softer this time.
Koji was still in a state of shock. Izumi was rarely like this, but for the rare times it happened, Koji felt strangely proud of his friend. "I'm sorry," he said, "I wasn't thinking clearly." Koji placed a firm hand on Izumi's shoulder. "That was amazing, by the way. Did you always have that in you? Because you should do it more often."
Izumi laughed, albeit still shaken from his outburst. "If I did that all the time, to be honest, I would probably be dead by now." His expression grew somber yet again. "But I still can't shake off the feeling that we could've helped Shou-chan a bit more."
Koji sighed. "He does everything with everyone else in mind, doesn't he. For our sakes, he keeps on wearing a mask." His hands brushed through his hair, breaking through tangles. "And we're too afraid to ask, and too afraid to help, because it could do more harm than good. Kinda pathetic, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Isn't it?" Izumi chuckled, and Koji slowly joined in, lightening up the previous mood with echoes of laughter.
Finally, the two began walking towards the front door. "I hope Shou-chan can find a good friend that would draw out his feelings a bit more. He tells the truth to us, but never the whole thing. It'll be nice to find a person to match Shouyou's way of thinking and his intensity, wouldn't it?"
Koji stopped in the middle of the road. "Oh. He was planning on going to another school after graduating, wasn't he. I completely forgot."
"Yeah. Kara - Karasuno, wasn't it? He mentions it a lot, and he's set his eyes on it for a long time."
"Mmm." Koji hurried across the street as a car approached the intersection. "It'll be lonely once he leaves."
Izumi waited for Koji to catch up, then said, without looking at him, "Don't worry. I have another hot-tempered friend to keep me company once Shou-chan's gone. Besides, we do have his email address."
Koji's eyes narrowed. "What's this about a hot-tempered - hey, that's not fair!" Izumi started running, and Koji grabbed at thin air. "Hey wait a moment, you sneaky boy!"
But, as Koji ran after his laughing friend, he wondered how different everything would be without the redhead around. It was like deja vu to him, and he bit his lip, trying not to bring up the thought.
Hinata continued to be troubled these days. At times, though seldom, he would stop talking to them entirely. And because of the consistency , they had gotten used to it. It was frightening to think that it had become the norm for them, because it shouldn't have been.
"Maybe I should toss to him more," he murmured to himself, before catching Izumi's shoulders with his hands.
:::
Izumi felt the leather of the ball in his hands.
It had a mellow texture, gentler than a basketball, and lighter, too - but the firmness was familiar. It was meant to withstand the air's resistance, to be able to bounce off surfaces, to be spiked and served and tossed. And, as Izumi observed, the trajectory was pretty clean as it ricocheted off Shouyou's face.
"Are you okay?" Izumi stammered, dashing over to where Shouyou was rubbing at his face.
"I'm fine!" Shouyou bent over to pick up the stray ball; upon realizing he was unable to grab it with one hand, he pulled his other hand from his face and lifted the volleyball up. "Really. Besides," he grinned, "I've gotten used to it."
Is this really something you should get used to? Izumi paused, before shaking his head. No, us being used to Shou-chan's recent behaviors is different from this.
Volleyball. The second necessity. In this case, more of a passion, but the yearning had grown over time. It had all started when Hinata had witnessed a short volleyball player, nicknamed "the Small Giant", awe the spectators on the court and outside the court. The Small Giant became Hinata's idol, and his love for volleyball was born the day he passed that bleak electronics store and made a decision to stop.
As a basketball player, Izumi understood this feeling, but to a lesser degree than Shouyou. It wasn't an obligation to attend practice, but more of a habit. So that he could feel the basketball pressed in his palm, hear the skidding of shoes on the floor, and the overwhelming feeling of success when he, or any of the others, scored a point. But that ache in your chest when you see the silhouette of the ball make its mark through the hoop was the best feeling Izumi had ever come across, even as it rarely happened. These elements most likely applied to volleyball as well. Which made it even harder for Shouyou to let go.
Shouyou's hand was reaching toward his pants pocket, the volleyball pressed onto his chest. Before thinking of the consequences, Izumi ran forward and took the ball from his friend. The disruptance in the air, as well as the sudden loss of weight, allowed Shouyou to once again regain his senses. Shouyou blinked at Izumi, confused. "What is it, Izumin? Oh, yeah, my bad. Another toss! Please."
Izumi tilted his head, eyes remaining on Shouyou's arm movement. Whether he was conscious of it or not, Shouyou really wanted to leave; Izumi could see the boy's left leg stretched out behind him, instead of the usual receiving position, with both feet parallel to each other. Izumi tucked the volleyball under his arm and said, "It's time to go, isn't it."
He'd meant to say it softly, but it came out as slightly degrading. Shouyou's eyebrows came up, and Izumi squeaked out a "sorry", waving both his hands in front of him and dropping the ball in the process. "I didn't think - "
"Hmm? What for?" Shouyou picked the ball up, and Izumi felt a fleeting emotion of relief. Either his friend catch the color of Izumi's offhand sentence - no, he must have, he's always been good at detecting differences in tone. He's keeping it to himself again. Shouyou stared at the sky, which had just begun its rotation from blue to hues of orange and pink. "I guess it is time to leave." He slung his backpack onto his shoulder and hugged the volleyball to his chest. "See you tomorrow, Izumin! And thanks for tossing again!"
"Y-Yeah. See you, Shouyou." Izumi's face relaxed into a gentle smile, and he kept on waving until the back of Shouyou's head was no longer visible.
Shouyou's face was all smiles. When did it become so different?
Way back then, there had been no minute difference. Even now, only the people who see him every day would notice the changes. The day Izumi and Koji first observed an uneasiness in their stomach when Shouyou passed them was in their third year, a few months ago. He was quieter than usual, almost solemn, and his brows were more knit than relaxed. He had walked past Koji entirely, and didn't attempt to turn around and greet Koji even when Koji knew Shouyou had realized it from his slight turn of the head. It was only then that their worry for their friend increased, because unlike any other, Shouyou could control how much pain he was willing to keep to himself, and let the pain spill out afterwards, always crying alone, suffering alone.
They knew this from the start. Izumi gritted his teeth. So why didn't we give him reassurance earlier?
His eyes surveyed the grass, looking for the volleyball he'd dropped moments ago. Oh. Of course Shou-chan returned it; as busy as he was, he took the responsibility anyways. Izumi didn't know what he'd expected.
Would it have been better if he had asked what had bothered Shouyou before things started to get messy? Or would that just put a strain to their relationship?
An upcoming test, and Hinata found himself straddled on the bicycle, and pedaling down the uneven mountain trail.
It had become a routine, these study sessions with his friends. The first time they decided to organize a group was after Hinata failed a test because he didn't understand the material. Since then, the custom was to head over to Kouji's house and see if he, or any of the others, could explain the material in a comprehensive manner.
While Hinata had refused at first, Kouji had persuaded the boy until he finally gave into the kind offer. "We all get to study, too, so don't worry, you're not wasting our time," was how he put it. But they all knew that Hinata took quite some time to calm down. When calm, though, it was easy for him to concentrate, copying notes neater than what you'd expect, after seeing the poor quality of his class notes. was convinced that as long as Hinata was focused, he could accomplish anything he desired, with the copious passion of his combined with sheer determination.
The sun was peeking out of the rose-stained clouds, meek yet strong; the warmth of the sunlight touched Hinata's cheeks, which glowed with a healthy color. The road descended into a stretch of smooth ashphalt, and Hinata felt the urge to simply close his eyes and savor the breezy wind sweeping past his face. Down the road lay the complex which Kouji lived, and Hinata somehow sensed that Izumi was ahead of him, and had already stopped at the residence. Izumi was rarely late for school and for appointments, even if the appointment was no more that a simple study session.
Hinata knocked on the door. He heard feet shuffling, a few voices penetrating the sounds coming from the kitchen, and the click of the door unlocking. He was met face-to-face with Izumi; as expected, he had arrived early and was holding a bag of snacks in one hand.
"So you finally came, Shou-chan?" Izumi grinned as he reached into the bag and plucked out a crisp between two fingers, then dropping it into his mouth. "We were going to start without you," he said between crunching sounds.
Hinata narrowed his eyes at the open end of the chip bag. "Didn't you start without me already?"
"Heh. Sorry." Izumi pinched the opening shut and clipped it closed. "But these are really good, you know?"
They both started laughing at once. "Don't worry," Hinata said, determined and with a fire in his eyes, "I'll be the first person here next time, and get to the snacks first."
Izumi hugged the bag to his chest. "I'd like to see you try."
Kouji walked into the entrance. Upon noticing the two, his eyebrows lifted and he promptly uttered a greeting: "Hey, Shouyou."
Hinata greeted him back. "I'm not too late, am I?"
"Nah, it's fine. You're late by, like, ten minutes?" Upon seeing Shouyou's apologetic face, Kouji amended his previous statement. "No, really. I mean, you know with the..." Kouji faltered, hands gesturing wildly."Err,besides, it's just a study session, not a - Izumi, don't bring the chip bag here! If my mom sees anything on the floor, I'll have to clean it up, you know?"
"Sorry, Kouji-san." Izumi placed the chip bag into Kouji's hands and said, "Please accept this offering of apology."
"Stop that," Kouji pushed the bag back into Izumi's custody. "And don't call me Kouji-san! It sounds weird coming from you."
"How mean." Izumi assumed a dejected expression, and headed to Kouji's room with the chip bag in tow.
Kouji glared at Izumi's retreating figure but didn't utter a word. "Um," he said, after seeing that Shouyou was still waiting politely at the doorway, "come in, Shouyou."
Kouji turned his back against his friend and sighed, secretly grateful that Izumi brought the chip bag there. No wait, I shouldn't be grateful for that! Kouji shivered. Did he have a cold? Or is there some other reason why he could come up with thoughts that didn't make sense?
Because, just for a moment, he was glad that Izumi's distraction cut off what he was almost about to say to Shouyou:
"I mean, you know, with the condition your mom's been lately, it's understandable why you're late."
:::
"That's what he said," Izumi told Kouji, who was standing there, arms folded and wearing a cross expression.
Kouji's eyes were unfocused. Part of him was pure anger; the fact that Shouyou hadn't bothered to tell them what was wrong gave Kouji an inexplicable urge to threaten the redhead and force him to spill out all his secrets. Another part, however, felt sad. Sad that he didn't try hard enough to coerce information, and sad that he couldn't help at all. I'm so useless.
His lips formed a straight line. "So," he said stiffly, "care to elaborate?"
Izumi gulped, sensing the rage enemating from his friend's body. "Um, he said something about his mother being sick. That's probably the reason why he looks like he's in pain all the time. That, and stress related to school, to extracurriculars, and to things at home. And that's why he leaves so early: while his mom rests, he takes care of the chores, makes dinner, and looks after Natsu -"
"I can't believe this. He could've asked us to help him at home, too! I mean, I know we're also busy and we probably can't help much... but we could've lent a hand and made his life easier!" Kouji exhaled hard, breaths coming in short puffs.
"Kouji, calm down," Izumi said, and Kouji relaxed his shoulders by a tiny bit. He coughed. "I'm sorry," he wheezed, "I got carried away. Please... please continue."
Izumi waited for a while, until he was completely sure Kouji was finished, and then continued.
"I asked him if she was still sick, and he cheerfully replied that his mom's doing fine now, but he's doing the chores as always because he doesn't want his mom to tire herself again." Izumi glanced at the floor. "Though I'm not sure why Shou-chan's father isn't able to assist the family at times like this..."
"He's out of the country," Kouji said. "Shouyou mentioned it once, if I remember clearly. Currently, his father can't return home, but I'm sure he keeps up to date with the news back home." Kouji scratched his head. "It does all make sense, now... but something... something is missing -"
"You're not satisfied with his answer, are you?" Kouji was startled for a second, and for once, was not able to meet Izumi's gaze.
Finally, he gave up. "Shouyou's not here to hear us, so... yeah. I'm not satisfied. I want him to tell us more! To... to trust us more..." His words faded into a mere whisper. Something built up in his chest, and he found himself crying out, in an almost panicked voice:
"He doesn't trust us enough, does he?"
:::
"Trust me, this time I won't drool over your notes, Izumin. I promise."
"Sure, go ahead, make that promise a few more times and I'll be convinced then," Izumi deadpanned.
Shouyou was restless, and would not back down. "Okay, so there was one time where I didn't keep that promise, but that was before a huge test!"
"This test is pretty huge too, Shouyou, " Kouji said, twirling a pencil between his fingers while lying, on his stomach, on his bed.
"Eugh," Shouyou flopped onto the ground. "Kouji, why aren't you helping me?"
Kouji pushed himself further over the edge of the bed. "Because I'm telling the truth," he said, stuffily. Shouyou pursed his lips and pouted, eyes wandering off to the alluring chip bag beside the bedpost.
"I'll smack you with a pillow if you give in so easily!" Kouji snatched a pillow from the mattress and proceeded to gently hit Shouyou's head with it.
"Ouch, it hurts!" Shouyou shifted closer towards Izumi, while laughing and avoiding Kouji's attacks expertly.
"Dodging me, aren't you? Well you better prepare to face my wrath! Izumi!" The pillow went sailing into Izumi's arms, and he looked at Kouji, confused. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Shouyou smirked.
"To hit that traitor, of course!" Kouji puffed out his chest, imitating a proud commander. "Are you up to the challenge, sir?"
Izumi held out a hand in salute. "Yessir!" He whacked Shouyou with the pillow. "That's your punishment!"
"Stop it! Stop, please!" Shouyou pretended to look defeated. "Have mercy!"
Friends. Something Hinata cherished, and was by no means easily thrown away. He had met Izumi and Kouji in his year at , and surprisingly, the three got along well, even though all three of them chose entirely different sports as their extracurricular activities in junior high. Though Hinata had started out liking baseball, soccer and basketball equally, his sudden love for volleyball grew until the others lay in the shadows.
Hinata felt lucky he had such good friends, who would toss to him whenever they could. It was busy for his friends as well, and Hinata was sure basketball practice and soccer practice was just as tiring, if not more tiring, than volleyball practice. Since there wasn't a proper team at Yukigaoka, Hinata's dream high school was decided a long time ago. But this meant leaving his old friends, and making new ones.
What would it be like to make friends in an entirely new environment? Hinata didn't even remember how he became friends with Izumi and Kouji: he supposed he simply asked if he could join them, and they were together ever since. Was it hard to adjust to a new, hostile environment, with no one you recognized by your side?
Of course there was still Acchan. He was going to Karasuno along with him, but he wasn't as close a friend, and unlike Izumi, was not used to the volleyball.
So Hinata decided to try and spend time with his precious friends a little more often. Before they graduated and left him alone.
He didn't want to be alone.
"See here," Izumi tapped his pencil on the paper, "you forgot to switch the sign. You'll have to remember that for the entrance exam, hey?"
"The exam isn't until"
"You want to be able to attend that school, right? Though the entrance exam shouldn't be as bad as some of the others."
"Of-of course I do!" Shouyou chewed on a chip, the salty flavor lingering on his tongue. "That's why I'm going to study hard! And maybe... If you allow it of course..."
Kouji crossed his arms. "We've already told you that we would help. A few more study sessions won't hurt anyone. You're studying during lunch break too, right?"
"Yeah, Acchan was kind enough to help me." Shouyou groaned a little. "But it wasn't easy, when the food was right there."
"You really want to go to this school, huh," Izumi said.
"Mhmm," Shouyou agreed. "It's only a thirty minute bike ride -"
That's like an hour of walking, Izumi and Kouji thought.
"- and I really, really want to join the volleyball club there. I'll be able to get stronger, to get better, and plus, there's going to be a setter there so I'll get a lot of tosses!" Shouyou glanced at Izumi. "Ah, but your tosses are good too, Izumin!" He patted Izumi on the shoulder.
Izumi wasn't the least offended. " Having a setter who knows the rules should be nice."
"It's not your fault you don't know them!" Shouyou's cheeks were puffed, and he let out the air slowly."Really, I'm glad for you two for practicing with me."
Kouji hid his face by pressing it against the covers. "You're embarrassing us."
"What? There's no one here to hear me, anyways." Shouyou flipped a page, then stretched, opening his mouth wide as he yawned. "Though I want everyone in the world to know I have such great friends!"
"You're going way too far!" Izumi said, as Shouyou inched towards the window.
"We're not letting you! " Kouji rolled off the bed and grabbed Shouyou's arm, while Izumi grabbed onto the other, acting as a counterbalance. Shouyou struggled for a while, then relaxed his muscles and fell limp.
The three collapsed onto the floor, enjoying themselves. Izumi checked the clock. "Kouji, Shou-chan, it's already time for lunch."
"Already?" Kouji emitted a sigh. "Well, at least we studied a little." He turned to face Shouyou, and was taken aback by the serious look he wore.
"Ah, is it... Will it be okay if you stay here for lunch, at least?" Kouji asked.
"Huh?" Shouyou snapped back to reality. "Oh, yeah, of course. I... I think there are some leftovers from yesterday night so..."
(UPDATED 12-11-15)
This entry will be updated periodically. Since I will probably drop it sometime, I am posting everything I have on MAL, but if I write 50% of the fic and it is doing well, I might start posting it on FF.Net and AO3... Very rough and needs polishing.
Rated: T, Pairings: Kageyama x Hinata (BROTP, platonic OTP, i don't even know...) and maybe some more implied BROTP pairs, who knows...
Current Title: inability; necessity / my heart's cold but my hands are warm
Synopsis: Nothing is essential until you start yearning for it. Like the light at the end of a dark, dark tunnel, by the time you reach it, it's irreplaceable. However, a spark in the heart is necessary for a flame to be born.
Some random stuff: Hinata usually tells the truth, but recently he hasn't been telling his friends the complete truth, afraid of harming them and himself. On many days, he leaves the gym early, and no one really knows why: this never happened a year ago.
Notes to Self:
+ change Koji to Kouji to be consistent
+ Izumi > Shou-chan, Kouji > Shouyou
+ read the manga again to better characterize Izumi and Kouji. They are a little OOC at the moment.
+ the part starting with "Izumi had asked before" is a little awkward and disrupts the flow. Change this sometime.
Story under cut:
"I can't stay long."
It was always those four words, spoken with a clear tone and a face that shone with underlying gratefulness. A hint of a pained smile on his cheeks, and the shaking of his hands, undeniably there and yet barely noticeable.
He said them at the start of practice. The girls that let him share the gym nodded knowingly, and said, without any ulterior motive at all, that it wasn't necessary for him to repeat himself each and every day. But to him, it was important, and it continued until the words gradually melted in with the background noise of shouting and of balls bouncing onto the gym floor.
A smartphone rested on the bench, its surface muddled with fingerprints. Fingerprints left from hastily swiping open the lock screen, from tapping out long sequences of letters, from brushing off dust and water. The phone was always there, too. Notifications set to the charming chime of a bell, it was almost an item of security, kept close to him so he would be able to answer appropriately to a pending message whenever the need was present.
His first necessity. It didn't matter that games would sometimes crash when he left them on standby for too long, or that his music application would glitch at odd intervals, showing songs twice on the list; rather, he didn't seem to care. As long as means of contact was available, he was happy with it. And each day, he would exit the same gym doors, with the same smile, with his phone tucked in his pocket, and run out of the school building, breathing laboured and sweat gleaming on his forehead.
It had become such a familiarity, these words, the phone and the rush out the door, that it was no longer strange when drops of water were found, condensed into a single puddle, on the phone's screen. Or that his eyes, as bright and innocent as they were, were slightly tinted red whenever the girls noticed him walking through the gym doors. It was considered normal when Izumi rounded the corner and peeked into the classroom, only to find his friend deeply asleep on his desk, a trail of saliva leaking from the corner of his mouth. Surprisingly quiet and taking in just enough air each time he took a breath, as if to conserve energy, it was a sharp contrast to the loud and energetic student who had knocked over Koji's lunch by accident, once too many times. Koji complained, anger rising as he listed off, in his mind, every time his lunch had been destroyed just because one kid couldn't sit down properly. But as always, he was unable to put these thoughts into words, as he watched the erratic movements of the boy seated in front of him, apologizing profusely. Put it simply, it would feel horrible if he had uttered his indignant words of complaint, and Koji would be unable to consider himself a good friend. Instead, he dampened his harsh tone and bit back as many words he could do away with. Losing his lunch caused him unexplainable frustration, but he reckoned losing his friend would feel a thousand times worse.
Izumi had asked before. It was a tentative question, asked on a tentative day, when his friend had just come out of the classroom with test questions weighing his head down. The sky had been painted entirely grey, as if the artist had mixed all of his paints together and didn't have any blues left. It had been a day off from basketball club, as the coach was ill and the school didn't have a substitute, considering how small and unknown the school was. The fact that he lived in such a rural area of a minor city was also a factor, and Izumi often wondered what it would be like to live in a bustling metropolis, or at least somewhere within his current city that had more exposure to the outside world. The issue of having a small school also affected his friend greatly. There just simply weren't enough people in Yukigaoka Middle School that had the same burning passion his friend had.
His friend had greeted him that day, saying that the gym was closed today and that he could finally accompany Izumi on the way home, a rare occurrence that Izumi missed hugely but never had the heart nor the courage to tell. Izumi remembered the way the boy talked, fast and often tripping over words that shouldn't have been an issue. He remembered how he put a stop to the rambling, how his friend froze at the mention of his name, how Izumi's voice had sounded rougher and more worried than usual. How the sky seemed to detect this tension and darkened its colours to fit the mood. He remembered the feeling of betrayal in his chest, a feeling of anguish that he had spoken too early and the fact he'd even spoken at all. He also remembered a strange emotion overpowering the guilt: one of urgency, of confidence, a voice that urged Izumi to spill his curiosity out, a gut feeling telling him it was important that Izumi, and Koji, and the rest of Shouyou's friends to know why Hinata was the way he was. Why he slept more during class, why his smiles were sometimes fake and losing its signature warmth, and why he hadn't told anyone his troubles, if there were any to begin with.
Izumi wasn't sure why he was left unsatisfied with the answer that came out of Shouyou's mouth.
Relationships are built around trust and honesty. Without the two, a relationship would be out of balance, and would leave damaging scars, ones nearly impossible to repair. The answer Hinata gave was well within that range; it was straightforward, exactly like Hinata's personality, and more importantly, it was the plain truth. But it had left Izumi hanging, hopeful for more. And when Izumi had told Koji, all Koji did was purse his lips into a thin line and shake his head.
"He doesn't trust us enough, does he?" Koji's voice was bordering on anger again, and it fluctuated on the word "trust" just enough for Izumi to empathize with Koji's worry.
Hinata was always trying to smile. He fought hard against the urge to take a nap during class, and he managed to eat all of his lunch during break. His homework was messy, with incomprehensible scribbles in the margins, and his notes were as organized as a box full of toys you used to play with as a kid, but he'd have at least a half of that day's assigned homework done when he arrived to class. He was trying his best, fighting as much as his little body could give, to live his life as happily as he could, and this outgoing attitude directly affected everyone around him as well. Izumi had seen it happen before; Shouyou was greatly competent at complimenting and saying the right thing in any situation possible, and with such confidence even for people he didn't even know. It was something that Izumi and Koji admired, the way Shouyou would battle with everything he had, whatever the risk, and emerge victorious.
"...I think you're wrong, Koji." Izumi had his head lowered, so Koji couldn't quite see what expression Izumi wore. Izumi was the quiet, unassuming type, who sometimes found it hard to voice his opinions and questions, and hid them, tucking them into a crevice in his heart. Koji knew that Izumi was probably hiding his true feelings on the topic again. The way he was avoiding Koji's intense gaze by looking at the floor proved enough. But Koji wasn't ready when Izumi lifted his head back up, brown eyes resting on Koji's with a solidity Koji was unfamiliar with.
"Shou-chan's been like this since we met him, hasn't he." Izumi's brow was furrowed; he was giving it his all to be able to say this. He inhaled deeply, and continued, voice changing from one of stability to one that was hurried, and louder than Koji was used to:
"He's always been looking out for us, hasn't he? Remember that one time he volunteered to accompany you back home, because you had a twisted ankle from soccer practice?"
Koji barely managed a stiff nod, frightened by his friend's ernesty.
"You yelled for him not to, that he had plans of his own that day, but he insisted. When I wasn't able to come to school, he gave me a copy of his notes that he'd prepared beforehand, knowing I'd need them the next day. He even apologized how messy it was. And I should've been the one apologizing, that he'd wasted so much time on something I could've copied myself. Even before Shou-chan started having troubles he was kind to us. He treated us as friends, Koji. Because we are his friends." Izumi was so into his arguement, he'd forgotten to take a breath, and now he was coughing. Koji opened his mouth to say something, to tell Izumi to calm down before he hurt himself, but Izumi waved a hand in front of Koji's face, and continued. "He trusted us, and I'm sure he still does! So please, don't make it more difficult than it actually is. Don't say that he doesn't trust us, because," Izumi smiled, with a faraway look that could almost classify as pleading, "you know in your heart that's not true, right?"
Izumi's breathing was heavy. His strength and energy that had propelled him to say so much seemed to leave him in an instant, and his foot slid to the edge of the wall to prevent him from collapsing. Leaning against the cold wall, he said again, "Well?", but softer this time.
Koji was still in a state of shock. Izumi was rarely like this, but for the rare times it happened, Koji felt strangely proud of his friend. "I'm sorry," he said, "I wasn't thinking clearly." Koji placed a firm hand on Izumi's shoulder. "That was amazing, by the way. Did you always have that in you? Because you should do it more often."
Izumi laughed, albeit still shaken from his outburst. "If I did that all the time, to be honest, I would probably be dead by now." His expression grew somber yet again. "But I still can't shake off the feeling that we could've helped Shou-chan a bit more."
Koji sighed. "He does everything with everyone else in mind, doesn't he. For our sakes, he keeps on wearing a mask." His hands brushed through his hair, breaking through tangles. "And we're too afraid to ask, and too afraid to help, because it could do more harm than good. Kinda pathetic, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Isn't it?" Izumi chuckled, and Koji slowly joined in, lightening up the previous mood with echoes of laughter.
Finally, the two began walking towards the front door. "I hope Shou-chan can find a good friend that would draw out his feelings a bit more. He tells the truth to us, but never the whole thing. It'll be nice to find a person to match Shouyou's way of thinking and his intensity, wouldn't it?"
Koji stopped in the middle of the road. "Oh. He was planning on going to another school after graduating, wasn't he. I completely forgot."
"Yeah. Kara - Karasuno, wasn't it? He mentions it a lot, and he's set his eyes on it for a long time."
"Mmm." Koji hurried across the street as a car approached the intersection. "It'll be lonely once he leaves."
Izumi waited for Koji to catch up, then said, without looking at him, "Don't worry. I have another hot-tempered friend to keep me company once Shou-chan's gone. Besides, we do have his email address."
Koji's eyes narrowed. "What's this about a hot-tempered - hey, that's not fair!" Izumi started running, and Koji grabbed at thin air. "Hey wait a moment, you sneaky boy!"
But, as Koji ran after his laughing friend, he wondered how different everything would be without the redhead around. It was like deja vu to him, and he bit his lip, trying not to bring up the thought.
Hinata continued to be troubled these days. At times, though seldom, he would stop talking to them entirely. And because of the consistency , they had gotten used to it. It was frightening to think that it had become the norm for them, because it shouldn't have been.
"Maybe I should toss to him more," he murmured to himself, before catching Izumi's shoulders with his hands.
:::
Izumi felt the leather of the ball in his hands.
It had a mellow texture, gentler than a basketball, and lighter, too - but the firmness was familiar. It was meant to withstand the air's resistance, to be able to bounce off surfaces, to be spiked and served and tossed. And, as Izumi observed, the trajectory was pretty clean as it ricocheted off Shouyou's face.
"Are you okay?" Izumi stammered, dashing over to where Shouyou was rubbing at his face.
"I'm fine!" Shouyou bent over to pick up the stray ball; upon realizing he was unable to grab it with one hand, he pulled his other hand from his face and lifted the volleyball up. "Really. Besides," he grinned, "I've gotten used to it."
Is this really something you should get used to? Izumi paused, before shaking his head. No, us being used to Shou-chan's recent behaviors is different from this.
Volleyball. The second necessity. In this case, more of a passion, but the yearning had grown over time. It had all started when Hinata had witnessed a short volleyball player, nicknamed "the Small Giant", awe the spectators on the court and outside the court. The Small Giant became Hinata's idol, and his love for volleyball was born the day he passed that bleak electronics store and made a decision to stop.
As a basketball player, Izumi understood this feeling, but to a lesser degree than Shouyou. It wasn't an obligation to attend practice, but more of a habit. So that he could feel the basketball pressed in his palm, hear the skidding of shoes on the floor, and the overwhelming feeling of success when he, or any of the others, scored a point. But that ache in your chest when you see the silhouette of the ball make its mark through the hoop was the best feeling Izumi had ever come across, even as it rarely happened. These elements most likely applied to volleyball as well. Which made it even harder for Shouyou to let go.
Shouyou's hand was reaching toward his pants pocket, the volleyball pressed onto his chest. Before thinking of the consequences, Izumi ran forward and took the ball from his friend. The disruptance in the air, as well as the sudden loss of weight, allowed Shouyou to once again regain his senses. Shouyou blinked at Izumi, confused. "What is it, Izumin? Oh, yeah, my bad. Another toss! Please."
Izumi tilted his head, eyes remaining on Shouyou's arm movement. Whether he was conscious of it or not, Shouyou really wanted to leave; Izumi could see the boy's left leg stretched out behind him, instead of the usual receiving position, with both feet parallel to each other. Izumi tucked the volleyball under his arm and said, "It's time to go, isn't it."
He'd meant to say it softly, but it came out as slightly degrading. Shouyou's eyebrows came up, and Izumi squeaked out a "sorry", waving both his hands in front of him and dropping the ball in the process. "I didn't think - "
"Hmm? What for?" Shouyou picked the ball up, and Izumi felt a fleeting emotion of relief. Either his friend catch the color of Izumi's offhand sentence - no, he must have, he's always been good at detecting differences in tone. He's keeping it to himself again. Shouyou stared at the sky, which had just begun its rotation from blue to hues of orange and pink. "I guess it is time to leave." He slung his backpack onto his shoulder and hugged the volleyball to his chest. "See you tomorrow, Izumin! And thanks for tossing again!"
"Y-Yeah. See you, Shouyou." Izumi's face relaxed into a gentle smile, and he kept on waving until the back of Shouyou's head was no longer visible.
Shouyou's face was all smiles. When did it become so different?
Way back then, there had been no minute difference. Even now, only the people who see him every day would notice the changes. The day Izumi and Koji first observed an uneasiness in their stomach when Shouyou passed them was in their third year, a few months ago. He was quieter than usual, almost solemn, and his brows were more knit than relaxed. He had walked past Koji entirely, and didn't attempt to turn around and greet Koji even when Koji knew Shouyou had realized it from his slight turn of the head. It was only then that their worry for their friend increased, because unlike any other, Shouyou could control how much pain he was willing to keep to himself, and let the pain spill out afterwards, always crying alone, suffering alone.
They knew this from the start. Izumi gritted his teeth. So why didn't we give him reassurance earlier?
His eyes surveyed the grass, looking for the volleyball he'd dropped moments ago. Oh. Of course Shou-chan returned it; as busy as he was, he took the responsibility anyways. Izumi didn't know what he'd expected.
Would it have been better if he had asked what had bothered Shouyou before things started to get messy? Or would that just put a strain to their relationship?
An upcoming test, and Hinata found himself straddled on the bicycle, and pedaling down the uneven mountain trail.
It had become a routine, these study sessions with his friends. The first time they decided to organize a group was after Hinata failed a test because he didn't understand the material. Since then, the custom was to head over to Kouji's house and see if he, or any of the others, could explain the material in a comprehensive manner.
While Hinata had refused at first, Kouji had persuaded the boy until he finally gave into the kind offer. "We all get to study, too, so don't worry, you're not wasting our time," was how he put it. But they all knew that Hinata took quite some time to calm down. When calm, though, it was easy for him to concentrate, copying notes neater than what you'd expect, after seeing the poor quality of his class notes. was convinced that as long as Hinata was focused, he could accomplish anything he desired, with the copious passion of his combined with sheer determination.
The sun was peeking out of the rose-stained clouds, meek yet strong; the warmth of the sunlight touched Hinata's cheeks, which glowed with a healthy color. The road descended into a stretch of smooth ashphalt, and Hinata felt the urge to simply close his eyes and savor the breezy wind sweeping past his face. Down the road lay the complex which Kouji lived, and Hinata somehow sensed that Izumi was ahead of him, and had already stopped at the residence. Izumi was rarely late for school and for appointments, even if the appointment was no more that a simple study session.
Hinata knocked on the door. He heard feet shuffling, a few voices penetrating the sounds coming from the kitchen, and the click of the door unlocking. He was met face-to-face with Izumi; as expected, he had arrived early and was holding a bag of snacks in one hand.
"So you finally came, Shou-chan?" Izumi grinned as he reached into the bag and plucked out a crisp between two fingers, then dropping it into his mouth. "We were going to start without you," he said between crunching sounds.
Hinata narrowed his eyes at the open end of the chip bag. "Didn't you start without me already?"
"Heh. Sorry." Izumi pinched the opening shut and clipped it closed. "But these are really good, you know?"
They both started laughing at once. "Don't worry," Hinata said, determined and with a fire in his eyes, "I'll be the first person here next time, and get to the snacks first."
Izumi hugged the bag to his chest. "I'd like to see you try."
Kouji walked into the entrance. Upon noticing the two, his eyebrows lifted and he promptly uttered a greeting: "Hey, Shouyou."
Hinata greeted him back. "I'm not too late, am I?"
"Nah, it's fine. You're late by, like, ten minutes?" Upon seeing Shouyou's apologetic face, Kouji amended his previous statement. "No, really. I mean, you know with the..." Kouji faltered, hands gesturing wildly."Err,besides, it's just a study session, not a - Izumi, don't bring the chip bag here! If my mom sees anything on the floor, I'll have to clean it up, you know?"
"Sorry, Kouji-san." Izumi placed the chip bag into Kouji's hands and said, "Please accept this offering of apology."
"Stop that," Kouji pushed the bag back into Izumi's custody. "And don't call me Kouji-san! It sounds weird coming from you."
"How mean." Izumi assumed a dejected expression, and headed to Kouji's room with the chip bag in tow.
Kouji glared at Izumi's retreating figure but didn't utter a word. "Um," he said, after seeing that Shouyou was still waiting politely at the doorway, "come in, Shouyou."
Kouji turned his back against his friend and sighed, secretly grateful that Izumi brought the chip bag there. No wait, I shouldn't be grateful for that! Kouji shivered. Did he have a cold? Or is there some other reason why he could come up with thoughts that didn't make sense?
Because, just for a moment, he was glad that Izumi's distraction cut off what he was almost about to say to Shouyou:
"I mean, you know, with the condition your mom's been lately, it's understandable why you're late."
:::
"That's what he said," Izumi told Kouji, who was standing there, arms folded and wearing a cross expression.
Kouji's eyes were unfocused. Part of him was pure anger; the fact that Shouyou hadn't bothered to tell them what was wrong gave Kouji an inexplicable urge to threaten the redhead and force him to spill out all his secrets. Another part, however, felt sad. Sad that he didn't try hard enough to coerce information, and sad that he couldn't help at all. I'm so useless.
His lips formed a straight line. "So," he said stiffly, "care to elaborate?"
Izumi gulped, sensing the rage enemating from his friend's body. "Um, he said something about his mother being sick. That's probably the reason why he looks like he's in pain all the time. That, and stress related to school, to extracurriculars, and to things at home. And that's why he leaves so early: while his mom rests, he takes care of the chores, makes dinner, and looks after Natsu -"
"I can't believe this. He could've asked us to help him at home, too! I mean, I know we're also busy and we probably can't help much... but we could've lent a hand and made his life easier!" Kouji exhaled hard, breaths coming in short puffs.
"Kouji, calm down," Izumi said, and Kouji relaxed his shoulders by a tiny bit. He coughed. "I'm sorry," he wheezed, "I got carried away. Please... please continue."
Izumi waited for a while, until he was completely sure Kouji was finished, and then continued.
"I asked him if she was still sick, and he cheerfully replied that his mom's doing fine now, but he's doing the chores as always because he doesn't want his mom to tire herself again." Izumi glanced at the floor. "Though I'm not sure why Shou-chan's father isn't able to assist the family at times like this..."
"He's out of the country," Kouji said. "Shouyou mentioned it once, if I remember clearly. Currently, his father can't return home, but I'm sure he keeps up to date with the news back home." Kouji scratched his head. "It does all make sense, now... but something... something is missing -"
"You're not satisfied with his answer, are you?" Kouji was startled for a second, and for once, was not able to meet Izumi's gaze.
Finally, he gave up. "Shouyou's not here to hear us, so... yeah. I'm not satisfied. I want him to tell us more! To... to trust us more..." His words faded into a mere whisper. Something built up in his chest, and he found himself crying out, in an almost panicked voice:
"He doesn't trust us enough, does he?"
:::
"Trust me, this time I won't drool over your notes, Izumin. I promise."
"Sure, go ahead, make that promise a few more times and I'll be convinced then," Izumi deadpanned.
Shouyou was restless, and would not back down. "Okay, so there was one time where I didn't keep that promise, but that was before a huge test!"
"This test is pretty huge too, Shouyou, " Kouji said, twirling a pencil between his fingers while lying, on his stomach, on his bed.
"Eugh," Shouyou flopped onto the ground. "Kouji, why aren't you helping me?"
Kouji pushed himself further over the edge of the bed. "Because I'm telling the truth," he said, stuffily. Shouyou pursed his lips and pouted, eyes wandering off to the alluring chip bag beside the bedpost.
"I'll smack you with a pillow if you give in so easily!" Kouji snatched a pillow from the mattress and proceeded to gently hit Shouyou's head with it.
"Ouch, it hurts!" Shouyou shifted closer towards Izumi, while laughing and avoiding Kouji's attacks expertly.
"Dodging me, aren't you? Well you better prepare to face my wrath! Izumi!" The pillow went sailing into Izumi's arms, and he looked at Kouji, confused. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Shouyou smirked.
"To hit that traitor, of course!" Kouji puffed out his chest, imitating a proud commander. "Are you up to the challenge, sir?"
Izumi held out a hand in salute. "Yessir!" He whacked Shouyou with the pillow. "That's your punishment!"
"Stop it! Stop, please!" Shouyou pretended to look defeated. "Have mercy!"
Friends. Something Hinata cherished, and was by no means easily thrown away. He had met Izumi and Kouji in his year at , and surprisingly, the three got along well, even though all three of them chose entirely different sports as their extracurricular activities in junior high. Though Hinata had started out liking baseball, soccer and basketball equally, his sudden love for volleyball grew until the others lay in the shadows.
Hinata felt lucky he had such good friends, who would toss to him whenever they could. It was busy for his friends as well, and Hinata was sure basketball practice and soccer practice was just as tiring, if not more tiring, than volleyball practice. Since there wasn't a proper team at Yukigaoka, Hinata's dream high school was decided a long time ago. But this meant leaving his old friends, and making new ones.
What would it be like to make friends in an entirely new environment? Hinata didn't even remember how he became friends with Izumi and Kouji: he supposed he simply asked if he could join them, and they were together ever since. Was it hard to adjust to a new, hostile environment, with no one you recognized by your side?
Of course there was still Acchan. He was going to Karasuno along with him, but he wasn't as close a friend, and unlike Izumi, was not used to the volleyball.
So Hinata decided to try and spend time with his precious friends a little more often. Before they graduated and left him alone.
He didn't want to be alone.
"See here," Izumi tapped his pencil on the paper, "you forgot to switch the sign. You'll have to remember that for the entrance exam, hey?"
"The exam isn't until"
"You want to be able to attend that school, right? Though the entrance exam shouldn't be as bad as some of the others."
"Of-of course I do!" Shouyou chewed on a chip, the salty flavor lingering on his tongue. "That's why I'm going to study hard! And maybe... If you allow it of course..."
Kouji crossed his arms. "We've already told you that we would help. A few more study sessions won't hurt anyone. You're studying during lunch break too, right?"
"Yeah, Acchan was kind enough to help me." Shouyou groaned a little. "But it wasn't easy, when the food was right there."
"You really want to go to this school, huh," Izumi said.
"Mhmm," Shouyou agreed. "It's only a thirty minute bike ride -"
That's like an hour of walking, Izumi and Kouji thought.
"- and I really, really want to join the volleyball club there. I'll be able to get stronger, to get better, and plus, there's going to be a setter there so I'll get a lot of tosses!" Shouyou glanced at Izumi. "Ah, but your tosses are good too, Izumin!" He patted Izumi on the shoulder.
Izumi wasn't the least offended. " Having a setter who knows the rules should be nice."
"It's not your fault you don't know them!" Shouyou's cheeks were puffed, and he let out the air slowly."Really, I'm glad for you two for practicing with me."
Kouji hid his face by pressing it against the covers. "You're embarrassing us."
"What? There's no one here to hear me, anyways." Shouyou flipped a page, then stretched, opening his mouth wide as he yawned. "Though I want everyone in the world to know I have such great friends!"
"You're going way too far!" Izumi said, as Shouyou inched towards the window.
"We're not letting you! " Kouji rolled off the bed and grabbed Shouyou's arm, while Izumi grabbed onto the other, acting as a counterbalance. Shouyou struggled for a while, then relaxed his muscles and fell limp.
The three collapsed onto the floor, enjoying themselves. Izumi checked the clock. "Kouji, Shou-chan, it's already time for lunch."
"Already?" Kouji emitted a sigh. "Well, at least we studied a little." He turned to face Shouyou, and was taken aback by the serious look he wore.
"Ah, is it... Will it be okay if you stay here for lunch, at least?" Kouji asked.
"Huh?" Shouyou snapped back to reality. "Oh, yeah, of course. I... I think there are some leftovers from yesterday night so..."
(UPDATED 12-11-15)
Posted by
kytaen
| Nov 8, 2015 1:03 PM |
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