That school year had passed by fairly quickly, with Oikawa's constant presence. He'd basically moved into Iwaizumi's house—he used the guest room now, and he stayed over every night. He ate every meal there, did all his homework there. Iwaizumi's mother had never mentioned anything about where Oikawa's parents were. Oikawa never said anything either, and Iwaizumi never asked either of them. He figured if any of them wanted him to know, he would know. He couldn't help but wonder sometimes, despite himself. What is Oikawa's life really like? Why does he never go home?
It came up one night during dinner over the summer break. "So, Tooru," Iwaizumi's father said, "How do you like it here? You don't seem to want to leave." He'd said it in a joking tone, but Oikawa visibly flinched, glancing down.
"Sorry," he mumbled, "Have I been a nuisance?" Iwaizumi was slightly shocked—whenever he said anything like that to Oikawa, the brunet just teased him. "What, you don't like my company, Iwa-chaaaaaaan?" Whenever adults talked to him, thought, Oikawa had a completely different attitude. It's like he's a different person.
"Oh, no, not at all!" Iwaizumi's mother laughed, shaking her head. "You're such a pleasure to have, honestly! We'd all be so lonely without you here—right, Hajime?" Iwaizumi nodded, speechless. This conversation is not going right, some voice in the back of his head warned him, stop it before it gets out of hand. His mouth wouldn't open, though, and—despite himself, he was curious. He wanted to know why.
"But, Tooru," Iwaizumi's father spoke again, clearing his throat, "Now, don't get me wrong, I love having you here, but…doesn't your family ever worry? Shouldn't you spend some time with them, too?" Oikawa glanced down again, fidgeting nervously.
"Aha," he smiled, looking back up to meet Iwaizumi's father's gaze. "It's fine, they don't mind." Obviously unsure of what to do, Iwaizumi's father had simply nodded and gone back to eating. Iwaizumi met his mother's gaze, shrugging slightly.
Iwaizumi was kind of glad that the conversation had ended there, but still…something felt wrong about it. It's really obvious he's not mentioning something. The question is, will he ever mention it? He glanced over at Oikawa, who suddenly didn't seem too hungry anymore.
What on earth could he be hiding?
Before either of them knew it, they were graduating. "Junior high, here we come!" Oikawa cheered, holding up a hand for a high-five that Iwaizumi returned with a roll of his eyes. "Hey, Iwa-chan, what club are you going to join? You're going to the same junior high as me, right?"
"Kitagawa Daiichi, yeah. And, I'm not sure yet about the club thing. Why, what do you have in mind?" Iwaizumi adjusted his bag on his shoulder as they walked down the street, sweating in the heat of the last school day.
"Well, I was thinking of a sport that we'd both enjoy, and it turns out Kitagawa Daiichi has a pretty good volleyball team! I figured it'd be cool to try something new, don't ya think?" Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi hopefully.
Iwaizumi shrugged. "Sure, I'll do it. We'll have to practice over the summer, though. I don't want to get all excited for a sports team if I can't make it past tryouts."
Oikawa only laughed. They walked past Oikawa's house. Iwaizumi hesitated. Every time they walked past it, he meant to ask, but… "Hey, Oikawa?" It's the last day of school. Our last time taking this route. Next year, we won't be passing his house this way anymore. This is my last chance to ask him, right now, right here.
"Yeah, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa answered, only half-listening. Iwaizumi stopped, his bag sliding off his shoulder, hitting the ground. Oikawa noticed his friend had stopped, and turned around curiously. "What is it?"
Iwaizumi took a deep breath, pointing his arm out to the side. To Oikawa's house. "Why?" he asked simply, knowing Oikawa would know what he was talking about.
Oikawa just smiled, replying with the same old reply he always used. "I enjoy your company, Iwa-chan," he answered, as expected. Iwaizumi kept staring at him, not quite angry yet, but feeling the vague tinges of annoyance sharpening his actions.
"You know what I mean, Oikawa," he said, the edges on his words beginning to show themselves, "Why don't you ever go home? Why do you act all weird whenever anyone brings it up?" He ignored the flash of panic that crossed the brunet's eyes, finishing with, "Where the hell are your parents?"
To his complete and utter surprise, Oikawa's bag dropped to the ground and suddenly he was a fast-moving figure in the distance. "Wai—Oikawa!" Iwaizumi shouted after him, immediately breaking into a run. "Hey!" But Oikawa had always excelled in everything. Everything. Iwaizumi knew from the start he'd never catch up to him. And when he showed up at home, sweating and panting, after having gone back for his and Oikawa's bags and ending up being twenty minutes late…he honestly didn't even know what to think about his friend anymore.
"Where's Tooru?" Iwaizumi's mother asked, a surprised and worried look on her face. "Why are you so late? Is he alright?" Iwaizumi sighed, dropping their bags to the floor.
"All I did was ask him why," he panted, "Why he never went home. He just took off. I couldn't catch up…I don't know where he is." Iwaizumi's mother furrowed her brows. Iwaizumi glanced up at her. "You know, don't you? You went to his house, that one time. Where are they? His parents, I mean."
Iwaizumi's mother shook her head. "The…the door was unlocked. I just walked in. It was…it was strange."
"Strange how?" Iwaizumi asked, his curiosity fully aroused. "Was there no one home?"
"Well…" Iwaizumi's mother hesitated. "It was…the strangest feeling a house could ever give someone. It was…it was just so empty. Lonely. I don't know where his family is, but all I know…is that I would never be able to stay in that house all alone. I don't blame him for wanting to stay here all the time."
Iwaizumi was silent for a few minutes. "I'm going out," he said suddenly, turning to walk back out the door.
"Hajime," Iwaizumi's mother protested weakly, but Iwaizumi shook her off.
"He's my friend, Mom. My only friend, at that. I'm going to see why he's afraid to live in his own house, and why his family isn't doing anything about it." He honestly wasn't expecting his mother to really try and stop him, and she didn't. She wants to know just as much as I do.
Slamming the front door behind him, Iwaizumi began to march determinedly over to Oikawa's house. "Iwa-chan!" he heard, turning slightly to see Oikawa approaching him.
"Hey, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi called out, the nickname popping into his head randomly. Oikawa frowned slightly as he got closer, but he had a smile on by the time he was in front of Iwaizumi.
"Hey, Iwa-chan," Oikawa grinned, "Sorry for running off like that. I actually saw a bee—you know how much they terrify me, right? I should've said something, but I just couldn't think straight, y'know? Bees are terrifying creatures!" He laughed, but Iwaizumi said nothing. That's way too rehearsed. I bet he said it in his head a million times on the way here.
"Whatever," he groaned, "I'm going over to your house to see what the problem is. Do you want to come?" The smile faltered slightly, but then it was back. Brighter than ever.
"Ah, no thanks, Iwa-chan, we should probably start on the summer work, don't you think? We always get it done in the first few days of break. This time, we have volleyball to practice, so we have to hurry and get all our work done first, right, Iwa-chan?" Iwaizumi walked past Oikawa, headed for the brunet's house.
"Wait, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa followed him, "We really have to get our work done. It's going to take forever, we should do it all now, like we always do. Right? Right, Iwa-chan? Iwa-chan!" Iwaizumi ignored him, passing one, two, three houses. There's his.
"Iwa-chan!" Suddenly Oikawa grabbed his arm, and Iwaizumi stopped. "Just…wait." Iwaizumi looked up at his friend. Shock made his muscles rigid. He's about to cry.
"Oikawa…?" Iwaizumi whispered uncertainly, staring at the brunet's too-moist eyes.
"Let's just…go home, ok?" Oikawa whispered, looking down. Go home? Whose home?
"Yeah…ok," Iwaizumi found himself saying, the words falling from his lips without his knowledge or will. Why does he always make me do that? But the smile—the fricking smile on Oikawa's face after he said that—somehow it made everything ok. How is this ok? I still don't know anything! What the hell!
But when Oikawa gave that smile… Iwaizumi shook his head, walking behind the taller brunet as Oikawa tugged him along, hand still tight on his arm. Him, as a person…he's my ultimate weakness.
The summer went by in a flash. They started practicing volleyball together, which was actually really fun. Iwaizumi found himself enjoying it, found himself grinning every time Oikawa would set the ball right at the exact height he needed and…Bam! "You're good at this, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa sounded almost as excited as Iwaizumi felt. "We're definitely going to make the team, no trouble!"
When junior high started, it was just as Oikawa said. They made the team, and the practices began. It was at that moment that Iwaizumi noticed a change in Oikawa. Just a slight change—if it had been anyone but Iwaizumi, it may have gone unnoticed. But I'm observant, if nothing else.
It actually took him a while to pinpoint exactly what the change was. It wasn't anything specific, really—it was just the way he acted, the way he talked. He's almost too focused, Iwaizumi remembered thinking one time during practice, watching his friend play. It was then that it hit him. He's getting competitive…he's scared of losing.
It was around then that Oikawa got his first girlfriend. With the popularity he gained from his natural skill in volleyball and the growing cockiness of those skills, Iwaizumi soon found his friend surrounded by girls. "Iwa-chan!" Oikawa had called out excitedly as he ran to the school's entrance, from which they always walked home together. "Iwa-chan, guess what!" He had been so excited.
The girl's name was Mizuki. She was a pretty girl, for sure—long, glossy, dark brown hair, with matching deep brown eyes and a tall, slender figure. Iwaizumi's first impression of her was ditzy, but she soon proved him wrong. Apparently she was at the top of her class, one of the smartest people in the school.
The three—Oikawa, Mizuki, and Iwaizumi—had started walking home together. Iwaizumi always felt kind of awkward, like the third wheel. Oikawa would try to include him in the conversations, but they just couldn't find anything all three could talk about comfortably. Iwaizumi ended up always leaving a few minutes after them, walking way behind as they went on ahead.
I feel like I'm his older brother, Iwaizumi almost laughed to himself one day, watching Oikawa and Mizuki holding hands as they walked home. Well, he does live in my house, so I basically am. As soon as he thought that, he remembered Oikawa's home, or lack thereof.
Then a strange thought occurred to him. If no one's home, who pays the bills? Do they even get their mail? Do they even still live there? It had been years since Oikawa had called himself Iwaizumi's friend and started living with him. Iwaizumi's parents didn't mind—they adored Oikawa like a second son. But still…
The fact remains. We need to know what the hell is up with his life. Every time it was brought up, Oikawa would find a way to avoid the topic. Eventually, he just had to be asked head-on. The last time I did that, he literally ran away from the situation. Iwaizumi sighed. He might never win.
"What's that sigh for, Iwa-kun?" Iwaizumi started at the sudden voice, turning to see Mizuki walking beside him.
"Oh, Mizu-san…I thought you were walking with Oikawa?" He turned to look, seeing no sign of the taller brunet. "Where'd he go?"
Mizuki laughed. "He just passed you. You must've been really deep in thought, huh? He forgot something at school."
"Oh," Iwaizumi grinned sheepishly. "I guess I was pretty deep in thought."
"What were you thinking about?"
It didn't seem right to tell her about Oikawa's problems. He didn't know how much Oikawa had told her himself—he wasn't even sure if she knew that Oikawa lived with Iwaizumi's family. So he just shrugged and left it at a simple, "Family stuff." Mizuki made a thoughtful sound, and they continued in silence.
Suddenly she stopped. Iwaizumi paused next to her, confused, before he realized that they were at her street. She lived a few blocks away from him and Oikawa, so it was only a slight detour to pass her street. Iwaizumi hadn't even noticed they had come to the street. I'm really out of it today, aren't I…
"Well, I'm gonna go," Mizuki hesitated, seeming like she wanted to say more. "Um…" she shook her head. "Never mind. Bye!"
Iwaizumi raised a hand. "Bye." Alone with his thoughts again, he found himself zoning out. I wonder if it was something traumatic…maybe he doesn't want to go back to his house for a certain reason. What if his parents were abusive? Maybe his parents are dead. Who would his guardian be? And why wouldn't they be watching him? How young was he when we first met? Gah, I can't remember back that far. Maybe I should go check out his house. Yeah, that's a good idea. He's not here today, he's back at the school…I'll go check out his house. Maybe there'll be some answers there? Hopefully?
Suddenly there was a snap in his face. "Whoa!" he jumped back, refocusing his gaze on the brunette in front of him. "Mizu-san?" The girl stared at him curiously.
"You've been standing here, staring at nothing, for the past five minutes."
Iwaizumi laughed a little, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Ah, right…sorry, I just zoned out for a bit."
"Iwa-kun…is everything ok?"
Iwaizumi hesitated. It's really not, he wanted to say, but he knew he couldn't. He sighed instead, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I can't tell my best friend, I can't tell my best friend's girlfriend…geez, I need more friends. I can't confide in anyone. "Yeah," he answered, "Yeah, everything's fine." How soon is Oikawa going to get back? I have to get into his house. "Listen, I've got to go…I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
"Ok…" Mizuki's curious gaze never left him, even as he began walking down the street. As soon as he turned the corner, he glanced back and, seeing no sign of Oikawa, broke into a fast jog. I've still got some time…the walk back to school from here should be about five minutes…then back and all the way home…should give me about fifteen minutes in all. But I spent awhile zoned out, so…maybe ten minutes? He ran faster. Unless he's running. If he's running…I have no time.
He turned the corner onto his own street and, still seeing no sign of the tall brunet behind him, ran past his own house to Oikawa's. Wait, something's different, he realized, I've never seen lights on in his house before.
