Chapter 3:
The Best In Me

Oikawa shut his eyes and covered both his ears with his hands - his actions were brought upon by the loud clanging in the room.

His eyes widened as he saw the shards of glass scattered all over the floor. "Oikawa-kun? Are you all right there, Honey?" Iwaizumi's mom asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yes Iwaizumi-san, I'm perfectly fine. I just broke a wine glass here. Sorry!" He assured her as he stooped down and began to gather the fragments in his hand.

"You should be more careful next time dear!" He heard his mom shout from the dining area and Oikawa just chuckled at his own clumsiness.

"Shit!" He cussed under his breath as he squeezed his index finger, staring blankly at the cut one of the fragments made.

He heard footsteps heading towards the kitchen until in peripheral vision, he caught the sight of his best friend, standing right behind him.

Iwaizumi bent down to Oikawa's level and gently grabbed his wounded finger. "Let me see." He hissed as he looked at Oikawa's cut, a look of concern written all over his face.

Oikawa was caught off guard when Iwaizumi sipped the little amount of blood coming from the cut. "You should be more careful next time," he reprimanded. His stern voice sending chills down Oikawa's spine.

"Why are you so clumsy?" Iwaizumi arched his brows as his met Oikawa's gaze, the latter was just staring back at him, unable to utter a single word.

Iwaizumi reached for the first aid kit in his far-left, taking out wads of cotton and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Oikawa grimaced at the sight of the alcohol and started whining like a child.

"Iwa-chan! No alcohol!" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at Oikawa's expense as he moistened a ball of cotton with the liquid. "Iwa!" Oikawa squealed again in a pleading manner, earning a glare from the boy in front of him.

Iwaizumi dabbed and brushed the cotton gently against the wound, tears already threatened to fall from Oikawa's hazel eyes. "You blow! You blow!" Oikawa sniffed as his vision became blurry with his tears.

"Okay, okay geez!" Iwa let out a huff of annoyance as he agreed to Oikawa's request. "Quit whining like a baby. It's very irritating!"

"You're so mean!" Oikawa retorted, wiping the tears away with his other hand. "You're so mean! Nye nye!" Iwa mocked, as he earned a disappointed look from Oikawa.

Iwaizumi helped Oikawa stand up as he finished cleaning up the mess he made a while ago. Oikawa just stared at him blankly, unable to hide the shock and the eerie feeling he felt due to Iwaizumi's unexpectedly sweet actions.

"C'mon, let's finish dinner." Oikawa followed his best friend back to the dining area where they found their parents still conversing on various topics.

"Took you long enough." Oikawa's father joshed, a smug look on his face. Oikawa and Iwaizumi sat across each other as they finished the food left on their plates.

"So, what are your plans for High School Iwaizumi-kun?" Oikawa's mother asked.

"I plan to go to Aobajōsai, Oikawa-san!" The young lad beamed, showing feelings of excitement.

"Wow! That's another powerhouse school!" Oikawa's mom squealed. "So you'll be going separate ways for the first time eh?" She added, averting her gaze from Iwaizumi to her son.

Iwaizumi's eyes widened at her statement as he eyed his best friend, his look asking for confirmation.

"Oikawa here is thinking of going to Shiratorizawa! He passed the test he took last week and their volleyball club is already expecting his services." Oikawa's father stated.

Oikawa saw Iwaizumi as he hung his head low, a look of disappointment plastered on his face. "Mom, Dad I-I still have to think about it. I'm not sure yet." Oikawa replied, not taking his gaze off the young boy across him.

Iwaizumi's expression remain unchanged. It looked like he was trying to internalize and process everything he just heard. "That's sad. I thought you guys will be together 'till college." Iwa's mom divulged, patting Iwaizumi's back in a comforting manner.

"E-Excuse me for a second." Iwaizumi spoke softly but it was audible enough for all of them to hear.

His feet led him to the pool side - moonlight illuminated its waters, making it sparkle a little bit. He sat along its rim and dipped his feet in the lukewarm waters.

Iwaizumi felt a pang in his chest. The thought of him and Oikawa separating for the first time was just too much to take in. He had always been his confidant. He saw him grow into the guy that he is right now.

He was with him through all their ups and downs and frankly, Iwaizumi cared for him more than he cared for himself. He did almost everything with him - with Oikawa by his side. He protected him from his bullies way back, he was a big brother to him. In fact, he treated him as more than that.

It couldn't be denied that Oikawa got most of the benefits in their friendship, but to hell with that. He didn't care. He loved what they had. He loved every single bit of it.

He loved protecting Oikawa. Keeping him safe and sound all the time became Iwaizumi's habit through the years aside from playing volleyball. Oikawa's happiness equates to his' anyway.

He had this strong connection with him, and not just because they've known each other since practically the dawn of time, but because they had a common ground; they were very passionate about the sport they loved.

The thought of them separating for the first time made him very sentimental. It would mean that he'd lose the one person he has always looked out for. It was equivalent of losing a part of himself.

Oikawa may be annoying given his childish antics, but boy, those childish antics were Iwaizumi's happy pill. They would always lift his mood during his bad days. He may look annoyed and irritated on the outside, but deep inside, his feelings would tell him otherwise.

"You didn't finish dinner." Oikawa's soft voice sent tingling sensations to him. The chocolate-haired guy sat beside him and stared aimlessly at the night sky. "It's so beautiful." He remarked, earning a faint chuckle from Iwaizumi.

"It sure is!"

Silence enveloped them and provided them a quiet, comforting atmosphere. Neither of them mustered a single word. They were just listening to each other's heartbeats, their skin pressed against each other.

They could hear the wind blowing, and the chirping sounds emanating from the crickets around them.

"So..." Iwaizumi stopped midway through his sentence, trying to find the right words to say, "...g-good luck in Shiratorizawa! You'll make their team even more formidable."

Oikawa chuckled heartily, earning dagger looks from his best friend. "I'm not going there Iwa-chan! Don't be silly!"

"What? What do you mean you're not going? You'll bolster their roster! You'll easily emerge as champions! That's your dream!" Iwaizumi exclaimed.

"That's our dream." Oikawa corrected, giving emphasis on the word 'our'. "Any championship that isn't shared with you is worth nothing to me, Iwa-chan. I want us to be champions, not just me, and I want us to fulfill our dreams, together...like we always do."

Iwaizumi didn't know whether he should feel happy or disappointed with what he just heard. "Your mom said–"

"I don't care what mom said. I just know that I'm not going there." Oikawa said with finality.

"W-Why?"

"Because you're not going there with me." He confided. An expression of both shock and disbelief struck Iwaizumi's face.

"I want to be with you. I want to be on the same side of the court as you. I just want that, and nothing else." Oikawa smiled as he looked at Iwaizumi, his face still disoriented.

"W-What are you saying you dumbass? Of course you'll go there! It's not everyday that a big opportunity like this knocks on your door! Turning down the offer would be absurd!" Iwaizumi exclaimed through gritted teeth, his expression softened when he saw Oikawa's disappointed and sad look.

"D-Don't you want to be with me in High School, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa asked, heaving a deep sigh as he waited patiently for his answer.

"Of course I want to be with you..." Iwaizumi stared at his reflection in the water. "...but what's best for you is always the top priority, Oi!"

"Playing with you is what's best for me Iwa-chan. You bring out the best in me. I realized that earlier, when I almost messed up, but your gesture calmed me."

"What gesture?" Iwaizumi's expression was blank. His best friend shook his head in disbelief as he let out a huff of annoyance.

"The gesture!" Oikawa rolled his eyes which irritated Iwa. "Could you be more vague?" He retaliated with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"W-When you h-held my..." Oikawa stopped midway, indecisive as to whether he should finish his sentence or leave Iwaizumi hanging.

"When I held your what?!" Iwaizumi groaned, growing impatient. "Geez Shittykawa! You need to learn to finish your sentences!"

"When you held my hand you idiot!" Oikawa glared at him, making Iwaizumi cringe. "Since when did you become slow at picking up? Don't make me say it because it's so..."

"It's so what?" Iwaizumi was still oblivious as ever.

"AWKWARD!" Oikawa exclaimed as he nudged Iwa's arm.

"Oh," was all Iwaizumi could muster at the moment.

"I almost lost my sanity back there! But thanks to that little gesture of yours, I was able to regain composure! You see, being with you is what's best for me, Iwa-chan. Please don't fail to realize that." Oikawa sighed, leaving Iwa staring at him in awe.

Iwaizumi tucked a few longer strands of Oikawa's hair behind his ear. "Don't waste a big opportunity, Oi."

"I wouldn't label something as an opportunity especially if it keeps me away from you." Oikawa said subconsciously, making Iwaizumi pull him into a tight hug.

"You made me so happy tonight!" Iwaizumi confided as he broke free from the hug. Oikawa's red face changed his delighted expression immediately into a puzzled one, "Why are you blushing? It's so gay!"

"Eh? You're the one who went all sentimental just because you thought we'd be going our separate ways in high school. Who's gay now, Hajime?" Oikawa joshed.

"Shut up, Crappykawa!" He retorted, earning a chuckle from his best friend. They shared a few good laughs by the pool-side and eventually they lost track of time. They always had the best times in their lives when they were together.

"You know, sometimes I think that there's something going on between those two; something deeper, something beyond their friendship." Oikawa's mother remarked as she and Iwaizumi's mom both watched the two from a distance.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right!" Iwaizumi's mom agreed. The two of them laughed at the thought as they headed back inside the house.