Kind of a spiritual successor to Point of Origin.
"I'm surprised you even know what kishoutenketsu is."
"Hey, just what do you think of me anyway? …It's a staple of 4koma."
"Yon…koma…?"
"I can't believe you know kishoutenketsu but not yonkoma. Four panel comics? Ringing any bells here?"
"Why would I need to know one to know the other? Kishoutenketsu is important in discussing the structure and development of poetry; not that I expect you to know that, I have seen your marks for literature class."
"Yes, yes, we're as different as heaven and earth. As usual, we just don't mesh, do we?"
"Don't be like that. I have come across those four panelled comics you mentioned. They are not so different really."
"Y'know, I can't think of anything more different than yonkoma and traditional poetry."
"Can't you? And yet they have the same structure of introduction, development, twist, and conclusion."
"Kishoutenketsu."
"Yes. Heaven and earth are not as apart as you may think."
"Every once in a while you say something like that and I almost forget what you're actually like."
"Oh we can't have that, can we?"
"No."
Ki ( 起 )
Anyone else would have missed the shift in Mayuzumi's mood upon receiving the timetable for the Winter Cup. Not Akashi.
"Do you have a problem with this?"
"No," Mayuzumi returned. Trust Akashi to notice what he was trying to hide. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.
"Then?"
"You're not letting this go, are you?" Mayuzumi said, disgusted. It would be a different matter if Akashi actually cared. But the truth was that guy just didn't want any unpredictable factors influencing his grand basketball strategy. "The finals are on the 29th. That's it, okay?"
"It is good that you are in the right mind-set of Rakuzan going to the finals, but be careful to stay on your guard," Akashi lectured to Mayuzumi's longsuffering sigh. Behind them, the door to the roof banged open, the three second years trailing in. "So? What is the importance of 29th of December?"
"If it's Mayuzumi-san, it's probably Comiket, right?" Hayama said offhandedly, coming up to elbow Mayuzumi's side in unnecessary comradery.
"You know about Comiket?" Mayuzumi asked, batting Hayama away. Both Mibuchi and Nebuya looked just as surprised, though Mayuzumi doubted that they knew what Comiket was any more than Akashi – who was looking down quizzically at his own copy of the timetable, mouthing 'comiket' quietly to himself.
"That sounds like an otaku thing." Mibuchi narrowed his eyes. "Has that man been putting ideas in your head?"
"You're so fussy, Reo-nee." Hayama laughed. "It's a manga thing. And anime."
"That's right," Mayuzumi sighed. "You lurk in 2chan sometimes."
"On the Jump boards," Hayama agreed. "Not a lot of time to read it myself with practice going on, so I skim the threads for spoilers." What a disgraceful man.
"So what is this Comiket thing?" Nebuya asked. "Is food involved?"
"Comic market, abbreviated to Comiket, is the world's largest…doujinshi fair," said Akashi, reading off his phone.
"And what is doujinshi?" Nebuya knitted his eyebrows.
"Otaku stuff." Mibuchi sniffed.
"Porn!" Hayama added. All four pairs of eyes turned to Mayuzumi.
"I'm not there for the porn obvious," he spluttered. "I'm not even 18 yet."
"Oh, is that the problem," Mibuchi pointed out drily.
"Illicit material or not," Akashi cut in, "I do not see what the problem is? This fair takes place over the course of three days. Unless you mean that all three days take place during the Winter Cup."
"Good riddance," Mibuchi huffed. Because it was never enough for him to just let things be.
"No, the first day is 29th," Mayuzumi admitted reluctantly. None of the others looked impressed. "It's the commercial booths. They're here all three days, but some of their specialty items sell out very quickly. If you're not there on the first day, it's over."
"Is it food?" Nebuya asked dubiously, as if he couldn't comprehend anyone caring this much for anything that wasn't food. He probably couldn't.
"I don't know why I bother." Mayuzumi sighed and turned away towards the exit.
Akashi fell into step. "It matters so very much?"
Mayuzumi shook his head slightly. "This is the first time I'm a starting member for Winter Cup where I know we'll make it to the finals. It just feels weird to already know I'll miss the first day for sure."
"Your trust in us is touching," Mibuchi said, crowding after them with Nebuya and Hayama in tow. No matter how sarcastic he was trying to be, he couldn't hide the emotion in his eyes.
"Why are you even here," Mayuzumi snapped.
"Looking for you guys," Hayama said matter-of-fact.
"It is good timing," Akashi agreed peaceably, with the kind of look that spelled trouble. "There are some strategies I want to go over. We might as well use this time suitably."
The three second years, being the basketball idiots they were, agreed enthusiastically. Trailing behind them, Mayuzumi sighed again.
Shou ( 承 )
It was foolish of him, perhaps, to stand so trustfully beside the Hachiko statue at Shibuya station the day after the Winter Cup. There was nothing to say Akashi would show, just because Mayuzumi had invited him to Comiket. There was nothing to say that Akashi would know to come here, just because Mayuzumi had once talked about the romance in meeting at Hachiko. There was nothing to their relationship in the end.
But Mayuzumi stayed. And waited. Because he had texted Akashi that night, after the game that marked the bitter end of his high school basketball career, after standing through the interminable Closing Ceremony watching Akashi up on the stage like a broken doll with the second place trophy in his arms, after the crazy hide-and-seek game they played to stay out of sight of the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko Tetsuya and Kagami Taiga when it ended. After all that, he had invited Akashi to meet up at Shibuya station for Comiket and Akashi had replied: when?
Five minutes before the time Mayuzumi had given him, Akashi appeared amongst the mob exiting the station, drawing Mayuzumi's attention to him like a lodestone. Walking purposefully, Akashi found his way unerringly to where Mayuzumi was standing as if the crowd around them didn't matter. No matter where he was, no matter what he was doing, Akashi never had a problem finding him. No matter what else was lost yesterday, this remained.
The silence around them was frail, and needed to be treated gently. Akashi didn't seem to want to break it either, letting the silence stay as they boarded the train for Shinkiba. By the time they reached Tennouzu Isle, the only people left on the train were other Comiket goers like them – most of whom Mayuzumi had deduced already from their rucksacks and trolley bags. It was now or never; once they got off, it would be too busy and crowded for this conversation.
"You came," Mayuzumi said softly.
Akashi looked up at where their hands were joined, grasping at the same strap dangling above them. "I did."
"You knew exactly where I was," Mayuzumi added.
"How could I not?" Akashi returned. What could you say to that?
It was past 9.30 by the time they reached Kokuten station, joining the end of the line with the others who had gotten off the train. Akashi was peering avidly at the view around him, paying extra attention to the large blood donation van until Mayuzumi herded him away – that's for later, after they'd finished for the day, because no one wanted to go through the insanity that was Comiket with 400ml less blood in their veins.
"There are a lot of people," Akashi noted, face paling a little at how long the line stretched from the entrance.
"Comiket is very popular."
"Yes," Akashi agreed hesitantly. "How long is the wait?"
"More than an hour." Mayuzumi shrugged his shoulders, trying not to show how much he was enjoying Akashi's aghast expression.
"It begins at 10am, does it not?"
"Yup, which is why we don't have to wait that long."
"I see." Akashi looked like he was starting to regret this. Mayuzumi was perversely glad. He stopped trying to hide it. Akashi could tell anyway.
Ten ( 転 )
It was almost two by the time they finished lining up at the last commercial booth, all the goods that Mayuzumi needed to get before it's too late finally in his grasp. He'd shoved about half of his hard earned winnings – some of them literally - to Akashi, and he had never been so glad for inviting him along. Not just as bag holder, although the kid looked pretty fetching with Kaguya's face smiling cutely from the tote bag at his side, but his luck was as amazing as always and ensured Mayuzumi with the best prizes for every lottery they entered.
But the most amazing part, more than the Akashi's usual alienness, was the way he drooped over the various bags in his arms – an acknowledgment of exhaustion and hunger that Mayuzumi had never seen outside of a basketball match. Outside of that basketball match.
"Let's go get something to eat," Mayuzumi offered, feeling his own stomach grumbling. It was almost cute the way Akashi's face lit up at the idea of a break.
They made their way leisurely back to the entrance, Mayuzumi leading them to the souvenir shop for lunch. Akashi's disappointment was obvious and understandable – an empty stomach wasn't going to be filled by biscuits and soda - but it couldn't be helped. "We don't have time to waste on a meal right now, just get what you can. Here, there are buns too."
Akashi accepted the buns and quickly took care of his purchases, spending the rest of the time watching dazedly as Mayuzumi picked out half a dozen boxes and tins, a full set of Comiket Mascot edibles, and two bottles of soda.
Parking themselves in an relatively uncrowded spot, Mayuzumi immediately dug into one of the extra sets he'd bought for this exact purpose. Akashi, meanwhile, fussed with his coat, finally unable to take the heat inside the premises. Mayuzumi kindly took the coat from him, shoving it unceremoniously into one of the emptier bags by his feet as Akashi started on the buns he had bought.
The moment Akashi had finished, Mayuzumi was chivvying them back up again. They didn't have much time left before closing. Akashi was reluctant, but not protesting as they started to make their way back to the halls.
They didn't get very far. Of all the people Mayuzumi didn't want to meet and wasn't expecting to meet here today, Ootsubo Taisuke and Miyaji Kiyoshi from Shuutoku were pretty high up on the list. What were they even doing here?
"It's Rakuzan," Miyaji said weakly, mouth slack. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what I want to know," Mayuzumi said as snottily as he could, hoping it would get them to go away. In the background, Ootsubo nodded regally at Akashi, who nodded back.
"So you're an otaku." Miyaji not at all smoothly changed the subject, sneering conspicuously at the panty flashing loli character emblazoned boldly on one of the bags dangling from Mayuzumi's hands.
"And you're a stan," Mayuzumi sneered right back, pointedly curling his lip at Miyaji's own idol themed bags and the fan half sticking out of one.
"At least mine aren't 2D. Or prepubescent," Miyaji sniffed. "No seriously, why are you here? Especially you." He turned to Akashi. "The way Midorima was getting on, you'd think you were going to off yourself or something. I expected you to be crying into your second place trophy locked up in your room, not wandering around at Comiket. I didn't peg you for an otaku," he added dubiously, eyeing various bags Mayuzumi had given Akashi to hold.
It was all the things Mayuzumi had wanted to ask but didn't dare because even he had some tact. He wasn't surprised by the way Akashi's face turned white, then red, but couldn't help but sigh when Akashi turned sharply on his heel and left, saying over his shoulder stiffly, "I need some air."
Mayuzumi immediately went after him, knowing he couldn't just let Akashi leave. Behind him, he could hear Miyaji curse while Ootsubo said resignedly, "You just had to say it."
Ketsu ( 結 )
Despite Mayuzumi's best intentions, Akashi seemed to have mastered some misdirection of his own, and Mayuzumi lost sight of him as they got to the cosplay gardens. It didn't help that – as always – Akashi was just so damned fast.
It took a frantic half an hour of running around and feeling like a fool before Mayuzumi found him again. Akashi's coat was still jammed into one of the bags Mayuzumi's holding, apparently leaving Akashi with no recourse except putting on the hoodie Mayuzumi had bought earlier. It was in Mayuzumi's size and thus a little big on Akashi – the sleeves went down past his wrists and it was not Mayuzumi's fault that he found that a little hot. There had been no point in buying one his size, Mayuzumi was never going to wear it anyway – not when the hood had large rabbit ears on it and a matching tail puffing out cutely in the back. But Mayuzumi needed all the Kaguya-themed merchandise, even if it included that one.
It was a good thing he had too, because it supplied Mayuzumi with the once-in-a-lifetime-chance of seeing Akashi getting dragged into a photoshoot with some Kaguya and Ringo cosplayers. He watched dazedly from the side as Akashi fake-smiled them into submission and begged off after a mere three pictures, detaching himself from the group and casually joining Mayuzumi as he had known he was there the whole time. Maybe he did.
"You could have texted," Akashi pointed out, taking a seat primly on a convenient ledge.
"I wasn't sure you were going answer," Mayuzumi said frankly. He took a seat heavily beside Akashi, putting his bags down for the first time in what felt like forever.
"I might not have," Akashi admitted. He was facing down, his long eyelashes creating faint shadows on his cheeks from the sinking sun. There was a picturesque quality that warned Mayuzumi not to ruin it. Akashi always was too real for the rest of them.
"Why are you here, Akashi?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I guess…I wanted to know what comes after. When it's all over."
"I really hate you, you know," Mayuzumi said suddenly, ignoring the way Akashi was looking up at him, eyes wide and dazzling in their confusion. Not entirely under his own will, Mayuzumi's arms went up until he was gripping Akashi's shoulders. "It's not over for you, is it? You still have two more years. That's all the time in the world. I'm the one who's finished. Done. This was my first and last and only chance, and now it's gone. I'm gone. In three more months I won't even be a high school student anymore!"
Akashi took his condemnation quietly, eyes on Mayuzumi with none of the pride that used to be the only thing you could see in there. "Do you want me to apologise?"
"I don't want anything from you." Mayuzumi let go. "I especially don't want your lies."
Akashi was still staring at him. "Why did you invite me here today?"
"In light novels," Mayuzumi said slowly, "there is always this moment of vulnerability when the world they have always known gets taken away and the rules they have always played by are changed – when they can no longer trust themselves or what they know. I guess I wanted to see that on you."
"It doesn't feel like that," Akashi admitted. "It's like nothing has changed. Even though I lost, even though my life should have- something should have- But it didn't. The world is still here. I'm still here."
"What does it feel like?" Mayuzumi asked. "Forget about winning or losing or who you are or whatever. What do you feel, right now?"
"I-" Akashi paused. "I want to play basketball."
Mayuzumi tipped his head back and laughed. "Of course you do." He wiped away a tear. "Come on, then. Let's go."
"But- I thought you wanted to photograph the cosplayers," Akashi said weakly, half jogging to keep up with Mayuzumi's fast pace.
He shrugged. "Right now, I want to play basketball. And we can't have a one-on-one here." Mayuzumi smirked back at him, slowing down to let Akashi catch up. "Besides, there's always tomorrow for the cosplayers."
"Tomorrow…"
"Yeah, three days of Comiket, remember," Mayuzumi said. He coughed slightly, trying to ignore the red rising on his cheeks. "I'm expecting you to join me the whole day of New Year's Eve. We have an early start tomorrow; there's something I need to line up for, so we need to meet at Shibuya as soon as the trains start."
Akashi blinked at him. "Alright," he said softly, his eyes on Mayuzumi's hand as it nonchalantly grabbed Akashi's.
Mayuzumi kept Akashi's hand in his as they walked slowly back to the station. He could feel every single callous on it, every mark that spoke without words of Akashi's dedication to basketball. How could he have ever thought it was the end? "I'm not going to go easy on you, you know."
"I wouldn't want you to," Akashi said. "But I am going to win."
"Because you are absolute?" Mayuzumi asked drily.
"No," Akashi admitted quietly, a secret only for the two of them. "Because I'm not."
This is kind of based on the 2010 Winter Comiket since that's the dates given for the Winter Cup.
The Hachiko statue is a famous place to meet up just outside of Shibuya Station.
Kokuten station is the abbreviation of the Kokusai Tenjijou station right outside Tokyo Big Sight (where Comiket takes place).
Ootsubo and Miyaji are both Idol fans, they're probably here for those booths. It's better not to know what Miyaji-sempai is buying though. He did just turn 18 a month ago.
Kaguya and Ringo are both from that Light Novel Mayuzumi was reading on the roof (the one with the honey and the little sister), he seemed pretty into Kaguya (who canonically had rabbit ears) in Replace V.