Iwaizumi was the legendary arm wrestling champion of the Miyagi prefecture high school sports world. During high school, students from all sports asked to challenge THE CHAMPION, a ridiculous moniker that Hanamakki had given him after he had beaten a 3rd year baseball player as a 1st year at Aoba Johsai. Unfortunately, it had stuck with him through high school and into college.
While the students at UC Irvine might not have known him as THE CHAMPION, they figured out his abilities quickly and he was then asked to join every fraternity on campus. He politely turned them down but still went to their parties when asked. There was an underground gambling pool between Iwaizumi and the frat houses where each house would bring forth a challenger to take on Iwaizumi. If that challenger won, Iwaizumi would have to join that frat. After four years of challengers and attempts of conquering THE CHAMPION, the frats admitted defeat. Iwaizumi was gracious enough to take pictures with the frat presidents every year so that the Legend of Hajime Iwaizumi could be passed down to incoming recruits.
Oikawa had come to visit during one of those parties and had eagerly joined in the cheering and fan squad as he watched his best friend demolish opponent after opponent. It was a glorious thing to see. Later that night, as they headed back to Iwaizumi's off-campus apartment, Oikawa asked Iwaizumi what his secret to winning was? Iwaizumi responded, "Be fast and take them off guard. The faster you move, the less chance they have of gaining ground."
Oikawa filed that advice away, knowing it would come in handy later.
—
It was a battle of the high school rivals; Ushijima versus Oikawa. Oikawa threw his elbow on the table, hand raised and ready to battle. This was personal to Oikawa. He had beaten Ushijima on a national level three times while Ushijima had beaten him three times in high school. This was the tie-breaker to determine who had supremacy over the other. Ushijima did one final stretch of his shoulder then finally he put his elbow on the table and grasped Oikawa's hand.
The others by this point had circled up around the two some chanting "Vamos Oikawa" with others chanting "Go Ushiwaka.'' Everyone was closely watching who would take the first round of this decisive battle for the heart of Iwaizumi Hajime.
Kuroo, ever loving shit stirrer upper, announced "Today is a glorious day. Oikawa Tōru will face his first challenger in his conquest to make Iwaizumi his man. Ushiwaka will not be an easy foe and I think he has always admired Iwaizumi's work ethic and rugged good looks. Gentlemen, the match will begin on the count of three.
One.
Two.
Three.
Go."
Oikawa smirked at Ushijima. This fool wouldn't know what hit him. He ground his elbow into the table, tightened his grip and threw his strength into pushing his arm down.
And suddenly the match was over. It had taken less than 30 seconds for the winner to be declared.
Everyone around the table stood stunned with how quickly this match was over. This definitely wasn't the result they had been expecting.
Bruno smirked as he held his hand out to collect his winnings.
Oikawa had won in a landslide. On the count of go, he had immediately moved his arm in a 'if you blink, you miss it' effectively not letting the other man have a chance to gain some footing.
Oikawa turned to Ushijima and said, "Did you really think I wouldn't have learned how to win quickly when my best friend is the arm wrestling champion of Aoba Johsai and the arm wrestling legend of UC Irvine? You took me for a fool but I made a fool out of you. I win, Ushijima. You may have been better in high school but I have destroyed you every chance we've met since then. You will never beat me."
Ushijima bowed slightly, acknowledging Oikawa's win, and said, "While your arrogance grates on me, I will acknowledge you as the victor. Good luck with your quest for Iwaizumi. Promise me, you won't hurt him like you did before."
Oikawa started dumbfounded at Ushijima. Had Iwaizumi actually shared what had happened between them with Ushijima of all people?
He quickly looked at the center chair but Iwaizumi had moved and Oikawa couldn't find him.
Kuroo announced, "The next battle will begin in 5 minutes."
Unable to get Ushijima's last comment out of his head, Oikawa decided to head to the bathroom to take a break from the noise and get his focus back.
—
"Do you honestly think winning an arm wrestling contest is going to make me believe that you truly want a relationship with me?"
Oikawa hadn't even noticed Iwaizumi follow him into the restroom.
"Iwa-chan-"
Iwaizumi held a hand up for Oikawa to stop talking. He leaned against one of the bathroom stalls and sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Silence sat heavy between them as Oikawa waited for Iwaizumi to start talking, realizing that this was an important moment.
"Do you realize how long I've wanted this?" Iwaizumi asked.
That wasn't the question Oikawa had been expecting but he still answered, "Yes, it's been five years."
"Wrong," Iwaizumi said, moving forward to stand right in front of Oikawa by the bathroom sink.
Furrowing his brow, Oikawa frowned. It had been five years since they first had a conversation about actually being together at Hajime's undergrad graduation. They had shared their first kiss there and made plans for the future. Plans that had lasted three months before Oikawa messed up.
"No, I'm not wrong. It's been five years since we first tried to be together," Oikawa said, washing his hands so he didn't have to focus on the pain he knew he would see on Iwaizumi's face.
The breakup five years ago hadn't been pretty and it had stemmed from Oikawa being approached by the Argentine National Coach about becoming a naturalized citizen and joining Argentina's team. Their plan had been for both of them to move back to Japan and have Oikawa join the Japanese National Team. Oikawa had accepted the offering without thinking because he knew his spot was guaranteed in Argentina. Japan already had Kageyama and Miya. They didn't have room for a third setter.
When Iwaizumi found out, he had ended it right then and there. They didn't speak for nearly a year, but eventually started to slowly rebuild their friendship over the last four years to a resemblance of what it used to be.
Iwaizumi, getting tired of Oikawa avoiding his eyes, reached out and gently grabbed Oikawa's chin, turning his face towards him.
"Shittykawa, I have loved you since I was 15 years old. You never made it easy to love you and after we broke up four years ago, I had mostly given up on ever actually being with you. I haven't waited for you. I've been with other men and women but no one ever compared to you and it drives me absolutely crazy," whispered Iwaizumi, flattening his hand to caress Oikawa's stubble covered cheek, brushing away the tear that had gathered in the corner of his eye.
Oikawa sniffled, "Are you seriously confessing in the men's restroom right now?"
Iwaizumi shrugged with a slight smirk, "It was the only place where I could get you alone since you started this ridiculous competition."
Oikawa shrugged, "I was jealous and I didn't think."
"Do you ever think?"
"So mean, Iwa-chan."
"Winning this competition doesn't mean anything, Oikawa. It doesn't mean we will get back together and live happily ever after. I have to guard my heart from you because you have so much power over me. I can't get my heart broken by you again and then go back to being friends. There won't be a return to friendship. You have to convince me that we can actually have a life together, not one where we are together but live on separate continents. The balls in your court," Iwaizumi said, dropping his hand and walking out the door.
"Damn it," Oikawa said, looking in the mirror and remembering the day four years ago when he had called Iwaizumi to tell him about the offer…
"Iwa-chan, how do you feel about moving to Argentina?" Oikawa had asked as a form of greeting.
Iwaizumi looked down at his phone to make sure he was actually talking to Oikawa. Verifying that it was the correct number, he sat back on his futon, and asked, "What the hell are you talking about, Shittykawa?"
Oikawa's excited squeal could be heard through the line as he proclaimed, "Blanco called me today and said the National team is interested in me and they want to know if I would be willing to become a naturalized citizen so I can play for Argentina!"
Iwaizumi didn't even have to ask to know that Oikawa had already given them an answer. That he would happily give up his Japanese citizenship for a chance to play at the national level. All the plans they had made about going to Japan were a lie. The apartment Iwaizumi had rented for them in Tokyo was a lie. He should have known his dreams would fall prey to Oikawa's selfish pursuit of volleyball. Iwaizumi knew he should be happy for his boyfriend, this was a big deal. But all he could feel was anger and betrayal.
"I repeat, what the hell, Shittykawa? You were here less than 3 months ago and we made all these plans together. I got an apartment for us in Tokyo. I have plane tickets, I turned down prestigious internships here in California to be with you back in Japan."
"Our plans don't have to change, Iwa-chan. You can still do all those things but here in Argentina. With me," Oikawa whispered, having picked up on the anger.
"So there's not even to be a discussion? You are just going to accept their offer? Japan is completely off the table?" Iwaizumi yelled into the phone, clutching it tightly, willing his heart not to break into pieces.
Oikawa sighed, "I talked to the JVA and they are going with Kageyama and Miya. They don't want me, Hajime. I'm still not good enough for them. Argentina wants me."
"Go play in the Japanese leagues! They will see your talent and know you are better than both Kageyama and Miya," Iwaizumi pleaded, practically begging Oikawa not to give up on Japan, on their dreams.
"I'm choosing Argentina."
Crack. Iwaizumi's phone screen cracked from the pressure he had been putting on it. He was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. After about a minute, he responded with, "I'm breaking up with you. If you won't consider coming back to Japan to be with me then I won't consider going to Argentina with you. I don't want to be second place to volleyball. I love you but I won't do that. Please don't call me again."
And with that, he hung up and hurled his phone against the wall, smashing it into a thousand pieces, a perfect replication of his heart.
Oikawa moved back into the room where the competition was ongoing. Someone had done a McDonalds run and there were dozens of bags scattered around the circle.
The matches thus far had gone like this:
Miya had beaten Kageyama which was a surprise for most people since Kageyama had quickly joined the competition.
Sebastian had beaten Bokuto. Afterwards, Bokuto had claimed to have thrown the match because Akaashi would have actually murdered him if he kissed Iwaizumi.
And Hinata was just about to beat Bruno. It was a match up for the ages, 6'7" versus 5'8", the Argentine Giants vs Ninja Shouyou. Oikawa stood in the back, watching the match go down. It was a pretty even battle, both men exerting their power and trying to smash the other hand into the table. It went on for a full minute before the Ninja Shouyou caught a break and slammed the Argentine's hand down.
Raising Hinata's hand in the air, Kuroo proclaimed him the victor and announced a 15 minute break before the next set of matches.
Oikawa realized this might be his chance to make something happen and he strolled over to Kuroo and asked, "Hey man, can I talk to you for a second?"
Iwaizumi watched Oikawa pull Kuroo out into the hallway, frowning over what his best friend might be pulling. He wouldn't put anything past Oikawa.
When Oikawa came back into the lounge, he had a more determined look in his eye. Iwaizumi wondered if Oikawa's incessant drive to win and be the best was going to make him ignore what Iwaizumi had told him in the bathroom.
Iwaizumi had made up his mind that there wouldn't actually be any kissing tonight, mainly because of how unprofessional it made him feel. Secondly, he didn't want to kiss anyone but Oikawa. His heart had chosen his best friend a long time ago and nothing he did ever convinced his heart to release its love from the past. Iwaizumi was so lost in his thoughts that he barely realized that the third round had started.
This round was Miya vs. Hinata and Oikawa vs. Sebastian which would lead to a Japan versus Argentina final. How fitting.
Oikawa and Sebastian were the first pair to start the round. Right before it started, Sebastian leaned across the table and whispered something in Oikawa's ear which made his friend's mouth drop open. No one seemed to have heard what the Argentine said but he suddenly threw his hand backward, slamming his knuckles onto the table which made Oikawa the winner.
Sebastian dramatically declared, "Hijo de mil puta! Me has ganado, Toto. Eres el gran rey de Argentina."
Sebastian finished his statement with a flourish, sliding off the chair and laying on the floor.
Team Japan roared with laughter as Oikawa looked at his teammate who was behaving ridiculously.
Kicking Sebastian in the leg, Oikawa said with a grimace, "Me das pena."
Kuroo called for a brief break as Bruno came and pulled his drama queen up from the floor. Bokuto immediately came over to talk to both Bruno and Sebastian in a conversation that was mostly a few English words and a whole lot of slightly inappropriate hand gestures.
"Yer ain't allowed to throw the match like that," Miya whined from where he was warming up his arm.
Hinata, standing next to him chuckled, "Miya-San, I think you can be more dramatic than that. How about you throw the match and I'll go on to face Oikawa?"
Scoffing, and kicking Hinata's shoe, Miya replied, "Sorry, Shouyou. If you want to get to Oikawa, you've got to get through me."
"Do you really want to kiss Iwaizumi that badly?" Hinata asked, genuinely curious.
Miya shrugged, "I really don't care but I think it would make both Oikawa and Omi-Omi furious so it sounds like a good plan to me."
Cocking his head to the side, Hinata asked, "'Tsumu, has anyone told you that you're kind of an asshole?"
Miya winked, "Not today."
Kuroo decided that the break was over and ushered Hinata and Miya onto the participant chairs. The two men nodded at each other before putting their elbows on the table and clasped hands.
Kuroo counted backwards from three and the battle began.
Now Hinata didn't really care about kissing Iwaizumi but it has pissed him off something fierce when his secret boyfriend had volunteered to participate without even asking him if it was okay. To be honest, Iwaizumi and Oikawa were their dream cheat kisses. That if either one of them got the opportunity to kiss the Great King and his ace, the other couldn't be mad. But Kageyama had lost and Hinata didn't really want to have to face Oikawa so he relaxed his grip slightly. Miya narrowed his eyes, having picked up on Hinata's slight change. Taking full advantage, Miya shoved Hinata's arm down on the table, making him the victor.
"Good match, Atsumu," Hinata said standing up and gesturing for Oikawa to sit down.
Kuroo again made the announcement that the final match would take place in 5 minutes.
Miya, feeling as confident as always, smiled at Oikawa and said, "Are you ready to lose, Toto?"
Oikawa wrinkled his nose at the nickname coming out of Miya's mouth and replied, "Please don't call me that."
"What's da matter, Toto? What makes you think you're good enough for Iwaizumi?"
Oikawa looked Miya straight in the eye for a full 30 seconds. There was nothing to be afraid of with this fool. He had nothing to be fearful of except for Iwaizumi's response.
Oikawa looked at his best friend sitting on the throne of honor, laughing with Hinata, Bokuto, Bruno and Sebastian. Hajime was finally happy again; he had friends and a great job that he loved, even if he worked with assholes like Miya. Oikawa realized in that moment that Hajime would never be happy in Argentina with him.
Oikawa knew what he had to do and it surprised everyone including himself when he stood up. He bowed slightly to Miya then turned toward the throne of honor and whispered, "I sorry for not realizing before, Iwa-chan."
Turning back to Miya, Oikawa softly declared, "I forfeit."
Spanish translation:
Hijo de mil puta! -Goddamn son of a bitch
Me has ganado, Toto. -You've beaten me, Toto
Eres el gran rey de Argentina. -You are the great king of Argentina.
Me das pena-you are so embarrassing