Yabai Koi Series
A/N: Hi! It's been a while, huh? Thank you for the support and reviews ^_^. Here's a gift from me.
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime and the characters within it.
#9: [AU] people used to say that Hitoka would be his bride when he grew up, and he would have laughed. Now not so much.
#9
He was very much liked by a lot of people and was hated as much by others. Tōru Oikawa was aware of that, which was why he never had any shortage of fan letters and admirers. The popular streak he had going on through his years of Junior High continued through his three years in High School, and extended to his years in university. Reaching his third year, it could be said that the amounts of love letters, valentine's chocolates and confessions he received never seemed to dwindle. They were a daily occurrence to him, and so he became accustomed to females chasing after him. Rumors were second nature to his existence. Recently, there were rumors of him dating a professor from one of his classes. 'Dating' was an understatement. For the past couple of weeks, 'dating' somehow changed to 'sleeping with'. The only person who knew the rumor wasn't true and far from it was Iwaizumi.
"You sure seem carefree. For someone with rumors swarming around you like flies."
He gave one of his engaging smiles, one that made women turn to puddle except a certain light-haired junior of them. A smile that was purposely given to irk the already irritated Iwaizumi.
"Why shouldn't I be? They're not true anyway."
To not let that smile get to him like it usually did, the former Wing Spiker shrugged a shoulder, purposely making sure it bumped against Oikawa's. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she actually did come on to you that one time."
Iwaizumi's arms pricked with the sudden Goosebumps when he thought of the hickey on his friend's collarbone, left as proof. Oikawa's hand instinctively reached for the hidden spot, his throat clearing a bit. "Well, no one would know about that. Unless someone strips me down. Which won't happen."
Beside him, his friend raised a brow. Judging from the amount of girls who were eager to get into Tōru's bed after that rumor, Iwaizumi wasn't so sure of that. "Uh-huh. You should better come up with another reason to be so friggin breezy about everything."
"And why should I?" They had walked past the campus gates and continued walking towards their apartment complex a few blocks down the road.
"Because Hitoka's starting to believe it too. It's hard not to, ya know. Knowing how you are with women."
That made the Setter stop in his tracks. "The hell was that supposed to mean?" Iwaizumi looked back with a smirk to mean that it meant what it was supposed to mean. Tōru's gaze was unwavering as he spoke up confidently. "She won't. She's not that type of person."
A few paces behind them, a trio of kindergarten children with too-big yellow hats were walking hand-in-hand, happily chattering away. One of them bumped into Oikawa's side as they were rushing to cross the road, and the man helped the boy up, a small smile on his face when the toddler meekly apologized and thanked him. He couldn't help the extra tilt in his smile. 'Cute.'
From beside him, his childhood friend rolled his eyes. The guy might be a little loose in the head at given times, but Oikawa sure had a soft spot for kids. And Hitoka Yachi.
"You sure about that? I don't know if you noticed or not, but she's been avoiding you these past few weeks."
The brunette pouted, and they both started to walk again. "What makes you so sure she's not avoiding you, rather than me?"
The black-haired man raised a brow, with a face that clearly said, 'Seriously, you're asking me that?' Admitting that okay, maybe Iwaizumi was right about her avoiding him, the brunet scratched a spot behind his neck that wasn't itchy.
"That doesn't mean she's starting to believe the rumors. You know her, Iwa-chan. Yacchan won't believe a shitty rumor like that."
"What kind of rumor?"
They both stopped in their tracks when they heard her from behind them. Turning around, they were met with a petite figure holding up a couple of boxes with brushes and canvass rolls sticking out. Most of the stuff covered her face, but she could still see through the gap of white canvasses. She looked to be struggling holding the materials up and Tōru couldn't help but think how adorable she was, hence the smile he sported. From beside him, Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as discreetly as he could. 'Talk about looking like a love-struck idiot.'
"Yo, Hitoka. Want us to help you with those?" He approached the college freshman to help lighten the burden, purposely hitting his friend's elbow to startle the guy. Oikawa seemed to snap out of it and subtly pushed his friend away to get to her faster. It never ceased to amaze the spiky-haired guy how his friend could be so childish at times.
She sighed in relief as Tōru lifted the box with the most stuff in it, and grinned as she was met with his face. "Thank you, Oikawa-san."
His smile widened. He hadn't been able to see her smiling face up-close since the 'dating Professor Miyabi' rumor morphed into 'sleeping with'. He was glad he'd stayed back at the library until closing time to study with his best friend. "You're welcome. You can give that box to Iwa-chan."
"Yeah, c'mere. What were you thinking, bringing all these stuff home. You're supposed to have a locker for these, don't you?"
Hitoka laughed sheepishly as she handed the other box, "Isn't it okay? Home isn't too far from school, and I can do some new projects with all the left overs. Besides, obaa-san said to use the both of you whenever I can."
Oikawa laughed at that. "Geez, mom's really onto us."
Iwaizumi clicked his tongue. "Talk about free labor."
The three of them continued to walk towards the same direction, turning at a corner at some point. Iwaizumi asked her about her presentation that had taken place that morning, and she had replied with a thumbs up. They spent the entire walk home listening to her recollection of the hectic days before the presentation was due, and arrived at the apartment complex they all had rented. Fukurou Complex had been cheap, despite the apartments having a separate bedroom and small living room as well as being near to their campus. The only problem was that the walls were thin. Awfully so. Oikawa could still remember hearing his next door neighbor sing along to Frozen. At midnight. When he had an exam the very next morning. Needless to say, he was never going to let his niece watch the damned movie again. Not while he was still alive.
So both Oikawa and Iwaizumi had to buy soundproof sponges and installed them to their walls themselves when they first moved in. They even told Hitoka beforehand to prepare for the soundproofing, else she wouldn't be able to even take a light nap with how thin the walls were. The boys were lucky their scholarship fund provided more than enough for them, but Hitoka couldn't afford it since her scholarship was just enough for college tuition. Her mother had wanted to help, since she did put aside a fair amount of funds for her education, but the girl had been adamant to try and be independent.
So the first month she moved in, she had lacked sleep and developed dark circles almost every other week. Both her neighbors on either sides were either watching sports channels or fighting with whoever came to see them in the middle of the night. When the boys managed to learn of her problem they had forced her to use some of their funding, but she refused. The next couple of weeks they came by to convince her again, but by then her walls were already covered with soundproofing. At that time even she was surprised to see two men come over and install the cream-colored sponges. Turned out her divorced father got wind of it and immediately sent his men to install the walls.
They had totally forgotten how her father was crazy rich. And how annoyingly doting he was when it came to his one and only princess. Apparently her mother on the other hand, was a demon to the balding businessman. It still baffled them both to see how two very proud and loud people ended up having sweet Hitoka as their child.
"You can put them in that corner. Thanks again."
The guys nodded and moved to retreat to their apartments upstairs when she tugged onto Oikawa's sleeve. Iwaizumi raised a brow as he saw the slight flush in her cheeks and the way she had quickly pulled her hand away, apologizing. "What is it, Hitoka?"
She was fumbling with her fingers, suddenly looking nervous but determined to say something. Finally after a few moments debating by herself, she took a breath and looked up into their faces.
"I-Um… To be honest, I've been avoiding Oikawa-san. Because you know, um, the rumors."
At that moment, said name nervously tucked his hands into his pockets, and being the good friend he was, Iwaizumi walked over to give a reassuring squeeze on Oikawa's shoulder. "Rumors? About this idiot here sleeping around with Professor Miyabi?"
Okay maybe not so reassuring. He didn't miss the sharp glare from Oikawa.
Her face turned scarlet at the mere mention of 'sleeping with' and she nodded. "It's not that I believe that rumor, I mean, you're not that kind of person, Oikawa-san."
Iwaizumi wondered if his friend noticed how red his ears were at the trusting smile she gave and immediately thought that the two should just hurry it up and confess already. All of the awkward shy smiles were getting really out of hand.
Hitoka continued though. "It's just that other people were saying rude things behind your back so I went to ask the professor, to help clear things up. And then she told me she wouldn't mind if um… you know… if you wanted to make the rumors true… so I felt a little uneasy… and she told me she had already um… made a mark on you… I didn't know what to do if what she said was true so I ended up avoiding you."
That seemed to snap Oikawa into attention. "She what?!"
Iwaizumi could feel his brows shoot up his forehead. "Really? Damn… Oi Trashykawa, what now? She was right about the hickey though."
"Hey, wait-Iwa-chan!"
"Hi-Hickey?!" Hitoka couldn't help the hitch in her voice. Oikawa brought up both of his hands in a defensive stance.
"Well, half of that was true..."
Before Hitoka could ask them which half was true, Iwaizumi yanked on the collar of his friend's shirt, revealing a red blotch on the left of his collarbone. It was, without a doubt, a hickey.
The only thing Hitoka could think to say was, "I-It's so red."
Oikawa watched in boredom as Iwaizumi slurped his bowl of udon, intermittently stopping to talk to the other occupant of their table. His own bowl of Gyuudon was long finished before Hitoka came to the same establishment for her dinner. As if it was second in nature, she immediately smiled that big grin of hers when she spotted them a few tables down the counter and took her seat in front of him. She had ordered a big bowl of Gyuudon herself, and had dug in with gusto. He smiled a little at her appreciation of the simple dish. It was always amazing to see how someone of her size was able to gobble up a whole bowl of rice all by herself. Hitoka must have picked up that habit when she became the manager of the boys' volleyball club back then when they were still in high school.
"Eh? Really? I thought third years were supposed to start job hunting around spring. How about you, Oikawa-san?"
He was a little bit disappointed that she hadn't noticed him watching her the whole time, but he still answered her. "I've already done that. Gonna start working in Kanto Hospital the moment I graduate."
Iwaizumi clicked his tongue, and nicked a piece of the gyoza Hitoka had ordered along with her bowl of rice, ignoring her protest as he stuffed it into his mouth. "Dumbass here has good luck at least. I don't how he'd survive if he wasn't. Hey this gyoza's really good."
Hitoka covered her mouth as she giggled, the smile lines and that distinct dimple in her right cheek making her look the prettiest when she laughed, was what Oikawa liked most about her. She was oblivious to that though, as it had always been since forever. The former setter suppressed a sigh as he thought about how things had become as different as they were when they had been small children.
It had all started with only the two of them. It had been Hitoka and Tōru growing up as childhood friends. Tōru and Hitoka. The Child Emperor and his trusted aide. They were next door neighbors. Her mother was especially close to his family since Madoka had been his mother's best friend. Hitoka, then a little girl, had always been tagging along whenever he went beetle hunting and fox-tracking. His older sister was far older than he was, so he had taken very well to Hitoka. They became even closer after Hitoka's parents divorced. He had been eight years old, and she was just six. And then when he turned ten, they became fast friends with Iwaizumi. Over the years, as they grew up, people had always thought that they would end up together. It seemed to be a perfect match, even. Even Iwaizumi had asked Oikawa point-blank if he actually liked the girl, that one time during elementary school. Of course he denied, and made a face that clearly implied he'd rather eat a worm.
Ten years old turned to fourteen, and when his family saw how Tōru had worried how the girl would fare on her first day of middle school, they had an inkling of his feelings for her even he himself hadn't realized. Seeing that, his grandparents used to say that Hitoka would be his bride when he grew up, and that they would make a perfect couple.
The boy had laughed so hard, and asked them if they were crazy. He remembered telling them 'That's disgusting, knock it out will ya.'
Every time he thought of what he said that time made him cringe. He was such a mean bastard if he were to say himself.
"A cat?" Iwaizumi had turned to sipping his tea. There was another gyoza left on her plate, and Tōru eyed the piece of dumpling and suddenly thought of how lucky whoever managed to make Hitoka his.
The woman realized how intently Oikawa had been watching the gyoza, and picked it up with her chopsticks. He raised a brow as she pushed the piece to him, motioning for him to open his mouth. A smile spread over her lips again as he chewed on the food, when she suddenly blushed as she realized she had just fed him using her chopsticks. He didn't seem to notice though. She turned back to Iwaizumi while she nursed her cup of tea between her hands. "Uh-huh, I found it behind the convenience store. I mean, it wasn't even a cat. It was still a kitten. I'm thinking of bringing it home if it's still there tomorrow."
Oikawa himself didn't really know when he realized he fell for her. If he were to think back on those times during high school, he had probably liked her all along. He started to notice her when she had signed up as a manager for the volleyball team. It was weird, really. He knew she was a friendly person, and her smiles were never-ending. But it was only then he realized how her smiles managed to pull him out of a slump, how her words of encouragements and cheers spurred him to play better during matches. He remembered how he saw nothing but red when a few players from a rival school harassed her, and how annoyed he felt when some of his teammates made advances on her. Of course, she was oblivious to their intentions, which made it even more frustrating to him. Then everything clicked into place that moment the three of them went to watch the fireworks on their last summer before he and Iwaizumi went to university.
He remembered the time they watched the fireworks, Hitoka in her Yukata and him in his simple cotton t-shirt (of course Iwaizumi was behind them, watching in amusement). And without thinking he had actually told her he liked her.
But of course, she had been busy watching the fireworks and as she turned to him with a clueless look on her face, he knew she hadn't heard him.
That fact squandered every ounce of his pride that night, and what made it even worse was the fact that Iwaizumi saw the exchange and had never bore himself using it as blackmail material.
"I'm gonna go first. Mom wants me to buy some stuff at the store before it closes. Oi Trashykawa. Don't try any funny business when you walk Hitoka home, aite?"
Said name shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know any Trashykawa."
Hitoka laughed again when Iwaizumi raised a brow at that comment. "Oh? Thought that was your name."
Tōru waved him off, "Yeah yeah. I know already geez. Go away already."
They both watched the tallest of them walk away, scrolling through the list of things on his smartphone. Oikawa finished his tea and stood up to pay for his food. He motioned to her finished dinner. "I'm paying for this, okay."
Before she could protest, he had already strode his way through the other customers and paid the bill. The shop owner said something to him, and she tilted her head to the side when the middle-aged man motioned towards her. Oikawa gave the shop owner his usual charming smile and laughed a bit before he made his way back to her.
His smile was still there when he stopped at their table. "Alright, done. Let's go."
She blinked, and as she followed him through the exit she jogged a little to catch up to his long strides. He noticed that and slowed his steps for her. "What did that ojii-san say?"
He cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment. "Nothing, really. Just something."
Hitoka blinked, and tugged onto his sleeve. She got his attention, and he nearly regretted turning towards her when he noticed she was standing quite close to him since the weather was getting a little cold recently. The street was a little bit dark, and the sidewalk lamps cast a shadow over the top of her face. He could only see her lips, and the slight tint of peach from her lip balm.
He hated that thing. He would always end up looking at her lips more than often.
"What is it?"
She was smiling. "It must be something funny though. I haven't seen you laugh for a while."
Oikawa scolded the growing thump in his heart. 'Don't get strange ideas, you. She's just being her oblivious self, as always. She doesn't even know what she does to you.'
"Maybe because you've been avoiding me."
It was his turn to smile at her when she blushed a little and pouted. "W-Well, sorry about that. I really am you know."
They stopped at the red light, and watched silently as cars whizzed past. "This wasn't the first time you heard that kind of rumor, and you never avoided me. What made it so different this time?"
She sheepishly smiled, a hand scratching her cheek. "I don't know myself. I mean, somehow when professor said that she gave you that mark I felt a little jealous, you know. Because I've been with you for quite a while and I still can't hold your hand without feeling all funny inside."
He could feel his brows rising. He didn't know if he was dreaming but somehow that sounded a lot like a confession. He opted to grin cheekily to mask the hope bubbling inside him. "Eh? What's this, Yacchan? You have a thing for me don'cha."
The pedestrian light turned green, and as they crossed the road, Hitoka held onto his sleeve as if it was second nature. She looked to have been deep in thought and he was starting to think he had said something wrong. But then she looked up to him, her cheeks a little pink for a reason he was a little bit curious about. Only a little.
"Did you know that after the rumors started, the girls around me started talking about how they'd like to go out with you too. At first I really thought nothing of it… but well, when I thought about it, couples go out and kiss, right? So whenever I happened to see you I'd always think of how you'd be a loving couple with someone I don't know, that someday you'll kiss them… and I'll end up feeling very sad."
The moment she said that, they were already in front of Fukurou Complex.
Instead of going in, they stayed rooted at their spot. Oikawa was staring at her, mouth agape and speechless. When he noticed how Hitoka was looking at everything else around them but him, and the blush on her cheeks, he coughed into his fist to try and get his bearings straight.
"Do you realize what you just said, Yacchan?" He silently asked, eyes peeking up to look her. She was currently staring at her toes, bangs covering her eyes. Taking a big breath, he mustered enough courage to gently place his hands on her narrow shoulders. "What do you mean by that? Spell it out for me please. Because you see, I need to make sure you're not just messing with me."
She finally looked up into his eyes, and he knew then that all the years hoping in silence had been worth it when she smiled up at him, her lips a bit wobbly and her eyes unsure. "I think... I've just noticed how much I've fallen for you. So much so it's kind of scaring me."
He swallowed, hard. "I'm not dreaming now, am I? Because I really really like you and I won't know what to do if this is just a dream."
Hitoka looked surprised at how honest he was, and she ended up giggling when she noticed how ridiculous she was being. What was there to be scared about when it came to her true feelings? She held his face in her small hands and nodded. This time with conviction. "Do you want me to pinch you, Oikawa-san?"
He laughed at her offer, and she laughed along until they both stopped to take a breather. She was wiping off the tears on the corner of her eyes when he used a hand to cup her face, the mirth in his eyes never fading.
"Instead of pinching me, can I do something else?"
She blinked. "Eh? What is it?"
He looped an arm around her waist to pull her flush against his body, and he grinned when she gasped at the sudden closeness. His victorious smirk was the last thing she saw before he swooped down to kiss her fully on the lips. From somewhere behind them, an old woman chuckled at the new couple.
"Oh my, you ought to find a room, son."
She had her eyes closed as he deepened the kiss, but could still feel him hold up a hand behind her. From the way the old woman's chuckles became full-blown laughter, she guessed he probably gestured a thumbs up.
"Hey son, ya like her don'cha?"
Smile. "You knew?"
A grin and a thumbs up. "Been looking at you two since forever, bud. Don't give up, yeah. I can tell that she likes ya too."
He laughed, because he surely hoped so.
Tōru Oikawa was very much liked by a lot of people and was hated as much by others. Rumors were second nature to his existence. Recently, there were rumors of him dating his childhood friend from the arts department. Another rumor was that they were going steady, and that she was going to move in with him when she would finish grad school. However, it was starting to feel like the rumors were true after all.
One had to be blind to not see the similar promise rings on their right hands.
As he watched the way his brown-haired friend looked down at the small figure, and the slight blush on her cheeks as she smiled up at him, Iwaizumi could definitely say that rumor or not, what was important was that they were finally together. The only thing he was worrying about was how annoying Oikawa would be for the two years he was going to have to wait until Hitoka would finally move in with him.