"This is insane," Nishinoya groaned from behind the wheel of his car.

"I mean, I did warn you," Azumane duly noted.

Nishinoya grunted. "Honestly, whose idea was it to host a marathon down Bay Street? It's all downhill, you don't even need to run."

Azumane shrugged. "It makes it…family-friendly?"

Nishinoya bit his tongue. Even from two intersections away, he could hear the sound of spectators cheering on the runners making their way down the cordoned-off street. Sadly for Nishinoya, the traffic hadn't been the only thing he underestimated that day. The weather forecast predicted an afternoon high of 33℃—the hottest September day on record since the city started documenting daily temperatures more than nine decades ago. It was the kind of heat that seemed to bake the asphalt and concrete until every street corner smelled like a construction zone—so unrelenting, it was practically heinous.

Nishinoya was more miserable about it than most, with the car's AC unit completely out of refrigerant. Moreover, the numerous cardboard boxes piled up in the backseat made the vehicle interior feel incredibly claustrophobic. By contrast, Azumane, in his unwavering carefree nature, was perfectly content with rolling down the windows and allowing what meager breeze there was to percolate through. Nishinoya agreed to it, even though it meant having to put up with the joyous commotion just down the street—an embittering reminder toward his list of shortcomings for the day. Thus, Nishinoya held onto patience and virtue with the same knuckle-whitening tightness he gripped the steering wheel, his eyes helpless to watch the detour, bottlenecked by hordes of crossing pedestrians. It was in that maddening stand-still when Nishinoya felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Hey, what's up?" The boy replied.

"Hey, Noya," Hinata greeted, "We're just about done bringing up our boxes. Where are you guys?"

"We're ummm…stuck in traffic," Nishinoya mumbled.

"Stuck? Did you take Bay? I thought I said it would be busy."

"Y-yeah, I forgot. It's my bad."

A disappointed sigh crackled through the phone. "It's alright. Kageyama and I can go back and pick up the remaining boxes."

Nishinoya hit his forehead lightly against the steering wheel, disappointed to be giving up the responsibility initially for him and Azumane. "Sounds good. I'm sorry again, Hinata."

"It's alright, don't sweat it! Honestly, thanks for helping out, I really appreciate it. Also would you say thanks to Azumane for me?"

Nishinoya lowered his phone from his ear, turning to Azumane. "Hinata says thanks."

Azumane smiled. "It's no worries."

"He says it's no worry," Nishinoya relayed.

"Haha, alright. See you later."

"Bye, babe," Nishinoya replied before hanging up and shoving his phone back in his pocket. As he did so, Nishinoya glanced briefly at Azumane in the passenger seat, grinning from ear to ear. "Babe, huh?" The other boy remarked, humorously.

Nishinoya bit his lip, trying to hide a boastful smile.

…

Hinata hadn't been planning to live on his own for another year, though it all changed when his roommate, Kageyama Tobio, was unexpectedly laid off from his job. Suddenly, the youthful optimism which had filled their apartment since they moved in together two years ago had vanished. In the following weeks, Hinata came home from work to see Kageyama pacing about the living room in boxers and an old varsity hoodie.

"What's another word for…" Kageyama would ask—as if Hinata's marketing job meant he was also a walking thesaurus of resumé buzzwords.

If it were any other person, Hinata might have shrugged off the request and retreated to his room. However, he and Kageyama were good friends; naturally, Hinata wanted to help in whatever way he could. Fortunately for Kageyama, it wasn't long until he managed to secure several offers, one being in a similar role with a highly reputable company. The catch was that this job was on the opposite side of the country—a four-hour plane flight away—and, coincidentally, where Kageyama's long-term, long-distance girlfriend also happened to reside. After a week of weighing his options, Kageyama notified Hinata and their landlord that he planned to move out of the city.

Given that none of Hinata's friends were looking for a roommate, while also being reluctant to move in with a total stranger, the boy decided to turn lemons into lemonade—to use the setback as an opportunity to get a head-start on his bachelor pad fantasy. After four weeks of browsing listings and meeting with landlords, he lucked out finding an apartment within a recently-constructed building located only a few blocks away from work. Though it was farther away from the hotspots for food and entertainment, the rent was substantially cheaper for a one-bedroom apartment, and the neighborhood was quiet enough to be an otherwise welcome escape from the bustle of the downtown core.

The weeks leading up to the move were pretty straightforward. Hinata and Kageyama had been renting a partially-furnished apartment, which meant Hinata didn't have much furniture to pack aside from his bed frame, a desk, an office chair, and a dresser. On one date with Nishinoya, the two passed by the storefront of a mom-and-pop furniture store where Hinata saw a coffee table of minimal aesthetic, made of birch—Hinata made a point of picking the item up later in the week. Everything else that the boy owned was packed into one of several bins and cardboard boxes: from the cookware and appliances Hinata had accumulated over the years, to his numerous books and desk knick-knacks, and his many, many clothes.

To transport everything, Hinata had been planning to rent out a small moving truck, despite the few things he had to bring—he even persuaded Kageyama to drive the vehicle (Hinata had yet to learn to drive, though he lacked urgency to do so, given most of his life was centralized downtown). When Nishinoya heard of the rental situation, he immediately offered to drive his vehicle, a compact SUV with ample trunk space, to save his boyfriend the money.

"I can even throw in an extra moving buddy for free," Nishinoya jokingly bargained, given he and Azumane were due to hangout that month.

A few days later, the move took place. Nishinoya and Azumane drove over to Hinata's and Kageyama's after lunch, and the four of them brought the cargo down to the underground garage where the cars were parked. All the furniture and heavier boxes were loaded into Nishinoya's vehicle, with anything else going into Kageyama's car—a small hatchback he used to travel outside the city whenever his former job demanded it. After packing, there were still several bins that wouldn't fit in either vehicle, which Nishinoya then volunteered to drive back and pick up. Though this never came to fruition after Nishinoya took the wrong turn into the city's annual Fall marathon, thus delaying his and Azumane's arrival by an hour later than expected. Hinata and Kageyama pulled into the parking lot only a few minutes after with the remaining bins and boxes. The four of them then unloaded everything onto a trolley lent to them by building maintenance, stacking the cargo so high in what could only be described as a precarious game of Jenga.

Hinata's new place was on the twelfth floor, following a few turns down warmly lit-hallways of maroon carpet and beige walls. Opening the door, they were greeted to a living room of white walls and oak floors. Light flowed in from a generous balcony window, which offered a view of the surrounding buildings in the complex, all congregated around a central courtyard and dog park. The living space was modest in size, perhaps large enough to fit a half-dozen people over for a small movie night. Similarly, the bedroom and bathroom were more so cozy than spacious. In contrast, the kitchen made no compromises: sleek black tiles, gratuitous countertop space, a kitchen island, a behemoth chrome fridge with a matching stovetop, a double-basin sink with new fixtures, and a hefty dishwasher. It was this robust and highly functional cooking space that Hinata prized the most out of the new apartment. As the unpacking began, the boy remarked about all sorts of recipes he vowed to try, once he got settled.

Beyond that, the other boys would ask Hinata how he planned to furnish the living space, with the latter relaying his vision: a small dining table for two, a white leather sofa, a grey polyester rug to sit beneath his new coffee table, a reading lamp with stainless steel accents, and a walnut TV stand of modern aesthetic (also, Hinata had yet to purchase a TV). Of the other three boys, Azumane was most receptive to hearing it all, going so far as to make his own suggestions, such as considering a fabric sofa rather than in leather.

"Taupe would be a nice color," Azumane submitted, "plus, you don't have any kids so you can get away with more delicate materials. Leather's great, but it's not the nicest thing to nap on." Hinata admitted he liked the idea, and the two of them continued to talk at length about how to furnish the room.

Meanwhile, Nishinoya and Kageyama bonded over their mutual connection to Hinata. The two were in the kitchen unpacking the different kitchen appliances and cookware, with Kageyama having a story for each item—from the stand mixer that once churned out a surprisingly good batch of rum raisin ice cream, to the juicer that made a lemongrass smoothie which had Hinata locked inside the washroom for an entire Sunday afternoon. For Nishinoya, it was all a good laugh, while also affirming the genuineness he enjoyed most about his boyfriend.

It was late in the afternoon when all the necessities had been dealt with—a majority of the boxes were unpacked, if not sorted, while Hinata's bed frame was reassembled so that the boy would have something to sleep on for the night. The four of them also managed to put together Hinata's new coffee table, which sat in the living room as the only piece of furniture in the space. Afterward, Hinata excused himself to return the moving trolley to building maintenance. The other boys were surprised to see Hinata return with two large pizza boxes: a meat-lover's pizza, and a vegetarian option with spinach, mushrooms, and artichokes. Hinata confessed to having ordered the delivery in secret, as a token of gratitude for all the help he received. Nishinoya, Kageyama, and Azumane, exhausted after a day full of physical labor, were more than happy to hang around for dinner. Admittedly the circumstances less than ideal—Hinata had yet to buy a dining table set, let alone a sofa or chairs. Despite it all, the boys were content with sitting on the living room floor around the new coffee table. Hinata quickly washed and dried several plates and glasses before brandishing one final surprise: a bottle of white wine he sneaked into one of the moving bins and subsequently stashed in the fridge when no one was looking.

And so, dinner was set with the wine bottle and pizza boxes sitting on the only table in the apartment—the items took up so much space that any plates or glasses sat either on someone's lap or on the floor. Conversations resumed following a few urgent, hungry bites of food. Afterward, seeing it was the first time Nishinoya and Azumane had ever really met Kageyama, they took the time to ask him about his friendship with Hinata. Kageyama told their story, starting with how he met Hinata in university.

"It was some geography elective—something to do with reading maps. Hinata was sitting beside me on the first day, when the prof made this really stupid joke which Hinata couldn't stop laughing about."

"Do you remember the joke?" Azumane asked, biting into a slice of pizza.

Kageyama smiled, setting his plate down before clearing his throat. "What's a pirate's favourite country?"

A silence of anticipation filled the apartment.

"Arrrrrrrr-gentina."

Azumane giggled slightly, while Nishinoya silently gazed over at his boyfriend with both amusement and bewilderment. Disappointed by the audience's reaction, Hinata turned to Kageyama and protested, "You have to say it like the prof said."

Rolling his eyes, Kageyama leaned forward as if trying to embody their former professor's geriatric form. "Arrrrr-gentina," he said in a raspy voice, garnering only a few charitable chuckles from Nishinoya and Azumane.

Kageyama then continued, "Anyways, during that lecture, I introduced myself, and we ended up getting along really well. After that class, we would save seats for each other, and even paired up for the final project. Then when the course ended, Hinata and I would sometimes meet up to study together and go out for dinner afterward."

"So you two were already close to start," Azumane commented. "I guess that's how you two ended up being roommates?"

Hinata nodded. "Yep. We graduated together, though Kageyama moved downtown to start working immediately. I stayed with my mom for a bit until I found a job, but as soon as I started working, I knew I wanted to move here. Then one day, Kageyama and I met up for coffee, and we somehow ended up joking about moving in together."

"You made the joke," Kageyama clarified, "but I took it seriously. Rent's not cheap when you're living on your own, and I thought Hinata might make a good roommate. And then a month later, we moved into our old apartment."

Hinata smiled, "We ended up making pretty great roommates, I think."

"Yeah we did," Kageyama agreed, grabbing another slice from the vegetarian box. "Funny enough, I think my girlfriend was jealous to learn Hinata and I were living together so well. Chores got done, rent got paid—we're generally the same kind of tidy, but also good at hanging out together and being helpful when it counts."

Hinata giggled. "Yeah, like helping you pick out outfits for client meetings."

Kageyama raised a playful eyebrow. "Or listening to you cry about different boys over ice cream."

Hinata countered, "So umm…who was it that showed you how to iron a shirt?"

Azumane and Nishinoya laughed along—it was evident the other two boys were still finding closure with how they would no longer be roommates. Kageyama chuckled, "I honestly missed you helping me steam my shirts when you moved out to live with your ex."

Nishinoya's brow furrowed, a little surprised by the detail. "Oh, you moved in with your ex?"

Hinata smiled nervously. "Well we were dating at the time. I moved in after we had been dating for about six months. Then we split up, and I moved back in with Kageyama." There was a quickness in Hinata's tone that seemed eager to dismiss the topic—not that it mattered to Nishinoya, who was feeling at ease with the food and the wine. Hinata continued, turning back to Kageyama, "I'm gonna miss you, y'know."

The other boy smiled, "Always the sentimental type, aren't you?"

"Can you let me grieve a little? You're leaving to live on the other side of the continent."

On Kageyama's face grew a smug, self-satisfied smile, as if all along, he had been trying to get Hinata to admit how much he'd miss living together. "Well, if you ever want to fly out west and visit me once I've settled in, I'll be sure to show you around."

Hinata sighed. "It would be nice to take a trip. I haven't gone to travelling in a while." It was then that Hinata realized that he and Kageyama had been doing most of the talking, and as such, he turned the conversation over towards his other two guests. "What about you guys? Azumane, do you do a lot of travelling?"

Taken by surprise, Azumane quickly gulped down a hefty bite of food. "I've done road trips, some backpacking in Europe…visited some relatives in Chile."

"Oh, how was Chile?"

"It was a while back. I think I was…seven at the time? It was fun, though I mostly just remember this volcano that erupted."

Kageyama's eyes widened with disbelief. "W-wait, did you say erupted?"

Azumane smiled politely before turning to Nishinoya, who froze mid-bite into his meat-lover's slice. Unable to speak, the latter gestured his eyebrows and nodded as if to say, "Go on, it's your story."

And so, Azumane set his plate down to sit with his knees bunched up in his arms, before telling his tall tale. "So my family and I were visiting relatives, mainly my dad's brother and my cousins. One day we were headed to this resort by the coast in my uncle's pick-up truck and I wanted to sit in the back where my cousins were—they had this bag of mangos that they were planning to slice up and eat during the drive. My mom was hesitant about it at first, but my dad convinced her otherwise."

Azumane paused for a moment as if recollecting the details in his mind. "Anyways, the drive involved this winding highway through these mountains."

"Ah, it must have been beautiful," Hinata remarked.

Azumane heaved a grateful sigh. "It was. Sitting in the back with no roof or window, I could see all these small towns along the slopes, leading down to the beaches and the coastline. It was also just great snacking away with my cousins and feeling the wind rush past us. But then sometime later, the truck must have hit a pothole or something because…well, I-I fell off."

Hinata and Kageyama audibly gasped, with Nishinoya casually washing down another bite of with a steady sip from his glass—he had heard this story once before when he and Azumane were back in college.

Azumane continued, "I was fine, mostly. I got lucky and landed in some bushes…broke an arm. We ended up postponing the resort trip to head to the nearest hospital. I got a cast and, afterward, we rented rooms at a hotel nearby with a swimming pool. I didn't go swimming because of my cast, but at least my cousins got to have fun." It was then that Azumane let his arms unwrap around his legs, shifting to sit cross-legged, leaning back with his hands against the floor. "But then the morning after, I woke up and heard that there was this volcano near the resort that erupted. All the nearby towns got evacuated, but thanks to our little detour, my family and I were already in the safe zone. So we just headed back to my uncle's place that afternoon, with me sitting in the front next to my mom."

"That's lucky...in an awful sort of way," Hinata commented.

"Yeah," Kageyama agreed. "I mean it's weird to say, but it's not often you can be grateful your child falls out of a moving vehicle."

Azumane chuckled. "My mom still gave my dad hell for letting me sit in the trunk." As the story ended, Azumane shifted to segue the conversation. "Speaking of volcanoes, today was pretty hot, wasn't it?"

"Yeah it was pretty bad," Hinata agreed before turning to his boyfriend. "Worse, I'd imagine, in a car without AC."

Nishinoya was mid-sip when he heard Azumane giggling. The boy then humorously protested, "In my defense, one doesn't usually top up their AC in September."

"Yeah, climate change just ruins everything," Kageyama chimed in..

"Oh, and family-friendly marathons," Azumane pointed out, "you can't forget those."

"Ah, the real injustice of society," Kageyama egged on.

Nishinoya smiled on, content with the being the butt of the joke. Though what the others saw as the boy simply relaxing—relishing a moment without heavy-lifting, or being trapped inside a sweltering car interior—they didn't realize how Nishinoya was resonating with a more profound sense of gratitude. Perhaps it was the talk of Hinata and Kageyama starting new different chapters that had Nishinoya reflecting on his own winding journey—each boisterous party and sorrowful drink, and all the vulnerable conversations in between with loyal friends; all the dates around the city with a brilliant boy whom Nishinoya was still shocked to be calling to his boyfriend. For Nishinoya, life seemed to be like a trapeze act of coincidences—full of fear, thrill, and awe. And like with any high-flying acrobat arcing gracefully through the air, life also halted in brief moments of stillness where it gathered in momentum and clarity. For Nishinoya, that moment was in Hinata's unceremonious housewarming party—in celebrating a momentous milestone in his boyfriend's life, to which Nishinoya hoped he might be around to witness several more.

Though if Nishinoya could have read Hinata's mind at that moment, he would have known that the boy was processing things quite differently. Albeit, Hinata was pleasantly surprised to have such good chemistry with Nishinoya—so much, it put into perspective things why some of Hinata's previous relationships failed to work out. Yet the boy couldn't help but wonder if he might have been jumping the gun. Perhaps it was too soon to be in something new when his last relationship ended barely a year ago. Likewise, the decision to live on his own was indeed a triumphant moment, if not also tinged by the doubt that it was made too eagerly. What made matters worse was if things didn't work out—if it ended badly between him and Nishinoya, or if somehow he couldn't make rent—Kageyama wouldn't be there to save the day. For Hinata, it seemed life was pushing him onto a tightrope, locked into a singular trajectory, teetering daringly above ruin.

As Hinata contemplated this, he turned his gaze to the balcony window. With no blinds or curtains, Hinata could appreciate the setting sun and the sky ablaze with pinks and oranges, signaling the end to the hottest September day the city had seen in nearly a century.

"Well, how about a toast?" Azumane offered. "To Hinata's new apartment."

Hinata smiled humbly as the other two boys lifted their glasses.

"And to global warming ruining everything," Kageyama threw in for good measure.

Dissociating himself from all the change that made him anxious, Hinata raised his glass in unison, "Cheers to the end of the world."

Dear Reader,

I hope you would indulge me as always with these notes, but I just wanted to express how excited I am to be wrapping up this chapter! For me, this entry marks something of a halfway point in the story. Not to say that there will be another ten chapters (there might be more or less), but perhaps spiritually, this chapter marks a turning point.

With that said, the next chapters might take a while to complete, though I hope to push them out as soon as I can. All in all, I wanted to once again thank you for being on this journey with me. I intend to wrap this up Running With Scissors by the end of 2020, and it warms my heart to know someone out there is reading this and letting me ramble about my thoughts on life and dating. Until then, I pray you and your loved ones stay safe in these trying times.

Regards,
ApolloThirteen