Chapter 2

The ball, with its green, red, and white colors, bounced several times until it rolled to a stop against the gray mats against the wall. The golden wood floors of the court shined and glistened against the bright lights above.

And at the center of it all stood a man with black and white hair, golden eyes, and a wide, innocent grin.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he yelled, lifting his hands into the air. He turned to the other people in the room, presumably high school students. "Did you guys see that?!"

"Nice kill!"

"Wow! Can you teach me to spike like that?"

Akaashi was still standing in the doorway of the gym, his lips barely parted and his dark eyes wide.

Amazing, Akaashi thought. So much power…

Is he a student?

"Yeah, yeah! Teach us how to do that, Coach!"

Akaashi blinked rapidly, turning his gaze to the other students still on the court. They had quickly surrounded the man, their eyes sparkling with determination and a hunger to learn. Akaashi could feel a tiny flutter in his chest. Their eagerness was almost contagious.

"Ah, of course I'll teach you!" the man said, puffing up his chest and standing tall. He pointed his thumb to his heart and barked out a laugh. "You guys just have to get better than me!"

Akaashi felt his brow twitch but his ghost of a smile still remained on his lips. It was an arrogant thing to say but his words did not seem to discourage the young high-school students. Actually… they seemed more motivated than before.

"We will, Coach! We will!"

"Yeah, but how can we get to your level, Coach?"

The man rubbed his nose, his other hand still on his hip.

"Well, it starts with a lot of training. Speaking of which, you guys need to do your laps and then head to class!" he shouted, dropping his other hand to rest at his hip.

The team groaned in displeasure but conceded, hurrying to jog to the side of the court in a heap. The coach huffed out a laugh and then hollered out some words of encouragement to get them to move faster. The team groaned in response but pushed further, their legs stretching out into a quick-paced jog around the edges of the court.

Akaashi watched on, his eyes still glued to the passionate coach in the center of the room.

How did he get those players to stay motivated? How did he get them to listen to him?

How did this coach stay so bright?

You will never be as bright as him.

Suddenly, a sharp ping from Akaashi's pocket pulled him away from the disparaging thoughts. He glanced down and shoved his hand in his pocket to yank out his phone. He glanced down at the screen and felt his heart seize.

1 New Message

Father

His shoulders immediately stiffened, his hand gripping his phone like a vice. He angrily punched in the numbers for his lock code and opened the text.

Keiji, I will be stopping by the performance hall today. I expect everything to be in order when I arrive. I have an announcement.

Akaashi frowned, every muscle in his body tensing. He closed out of the text and stuffed the phone back into his pocket, forcing out an angry huff.

Why in the world was his father showing up at the hall today? What was this big announcement? The thought made him grind his teeth in his mouth, the feeling sending shivers down his spine.

Akaashi sighed and glanced back up, hoping to see that coach's bright smile again, but his stomach bottomed out the moment he looked around the court.

The coach was gone… and so were the vibrant colors that had once filled his sight.

Akaashi bit his lip, his heart sinking into his swirling stomach. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned on his heel, leaving the dull court behind.

The music hall was buzzing by the time Akaashi arrived. The orchestra members, on their morning break, were lumped together in the hallways and talking in hushed tones.

"I heard he's coming today!"

"Really?! Why so suddenly?"

"I don't know! I just heard Mori-san talking about it. He should actually be here any moment."

Akaashi bit his tongue to hold back a grown, his eyes rolling. He could not stand these young girls in the orchestra. They were nothing but trouble.

"Ah, that's exciting! He's such a handsome man, too!"

"Shh! His son is coming!"

Akaashi hunched his shoulders, a vein bulging on his forehead. He hugged his bag close to his body and hurried past the giggling girls, ignoring their strange glances. He made it to his tiny office and shut the door behind him. He took a moment to breathe, letting his shoulders rise and fall gently, before plopping down in his uncomfortable chair.

There was a stack of music on the desk, right next to his computer. Akaashi scooted his chair forward and leaned over the stack, noticing that the music needed to be reorganized and placed back into the library in their proper order. He sighed, his hand coming up to scrub his face.

What a pain…

He dropped his hand from his face and his eyes slid over to the computer. His gaze landed on the music player icon on the bottom.

Akaashi bit his lip, his hand slowly reaching over to grab the mouse.

Well… it wouldn't hurt to listen to a few different pieces before I work.

Just as he raised his finger to click on the music player, his door slammed open with a loud wham!

"Akaashi!"

Akaashi nearly fell out of his chair, his arms bracing himself against the edge of the desk. He inhaled sharply, feeling his cheeks turn red, and he whipped his head around to see the intruder.

"Konoha-san!" Akaashi scolded.

Konoha chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ah, sorry, Akaashi. I didn't mean to scare you," Konoha said.

Akaashi straightened himself in his chair and scowled, his brows pinching and eyes sharp. He took a slow breath and turned back to his desk to start sorting through the chaotic pile of music on his desk.

"Did you need something, Konoha-san?" Akaashi asked with as much patience as he could muster.

Konoha looked puzzled for a moment before his face lit up.

"Oh! Right!" Konoha leaned against the open door, folding his arms across his chest. "So, the word on the street is that your dad's coming by today."

Akaashi bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood. He swallowed thickly, feeling himself shudder from the sensation. He took a breath through his nose and stared down at the music in front of him.

"Yes. I suppose he is," Akaashi said.

"That's so cool! Are you excited to see him?" Konoha asked.

The piece of paper pinched in between Akaashi's fingertips, crinkling at the edge.

"Get out of my sight. I don't want to see your face."

Akaashi swallowed. He placed the paper back down on his desk and calmly tried to smooth out the wrinkles his fingers had caused. He clenched his jaw and stared at Konoha through the reflection of his computer screen.

"If I have time," Akaashi answered.

Konoha chuckled, Akaashi's struggle going unnoticed.

"Yeah, I can see that. Your dad's a busy man, right?" Konoha said. "With him owning both the Tokyo Philharmonic and now the Tokyo Opera Company, his schedule must be full."

Akaashi hummed. He remembered the announcement that came out when his father decided to purchase the opera company. He had become a well-known figure in the music world in Tokyo, his name popping up often in the classical music magazines. Now that his father had ownership of the opera company, his name was bigger than ever.

And Akaashi Keiji, his own son, was never mentioned. Not in any article or blog or biography. As far as the public knew, Akaashi Kyosuke was just a successful musician and business owner. Not a loving father.

"Say, Akaashi…"

Akaashi blinked back to life, the dull room coming back into view. He turned his head back to eye Konoha still leaning against the door, his shoulders hunched in on himself. His smile was gone and his gaze had softened, unlike his usual self. It made Akaashi pause.

"Hm?" Akaashi hummed.

Konoha's lip pulled to the side and his brows furrowed slightly. He took a slow breath before looking Akaashi in the eye.

"Is your relationship with your dad—"

"Hey, Konoha-kun!"

Konoha jumped, his elbows rearing back and bumping against the door. He snapped his head to the side to see one of the female percussionists running up to him.

"He's here, Konoha-kun! Akaashi-sama just arrived!" she announced.

Akaashi's brows immediately fell over his eyes and he frowned hard at her announcement, watching as the woman reached up and tugged on Konoha's arm.

"You wanted to see him, right?" she asked.

Konoha looked torn, his gaze flitting back to Akaashi. He opened and shut his mouth a few times before he made any attempt to respond.

"Uh, well… yeah, but I—"

"Then let's go!"

The woman tugged hard, peeling Konoha's back from the door.

"Ah, okay, okay! I'm coming!" Konoha said. He glanced to Akaashi and quickly fumbled out, "You're coming, too. Right, Akaashi?"

Akaashi nodded and lifted his hand. "Yes. I'll be there in just a moment."

That seemed to placate Konoha, and he let himself be dragged down the hall.

Akaashi, on the other hand, felt his chest cave in.

Why here? Why today?

And why bother to let me know about it?

He sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his fluttering heart. After a few minutes of calming himself, he dropped his hands from his face and scooted his chair back. He craned his neck back to look at the faded tiles on the ceiling and begged the heavens to give him mercy.

Akaashi sighed at the silence and then forced himself onto his feet. He headed out of his office, watching as the recording engineers scurried down the hall and into the auditorium. He slowly followed after them, holding his breath as he reached for the door and pushed it open.

His heart jolted at the familiar voice booming from the stage and his eyes darted to conductor's platform.

Tall, dark hair with speckles of gray swept to the side, a nice suit…

Akaashi Kyosuke stood on the stage in all of his elegance, his intimidating yet charming personality oozing out to the orchestra members. His charismatic nature has little effect to Akaashi, though. He knew the true nature of the beast within his father.

A crafty wolf in handsome sheep's clothing.

He swallowed, hanging his head, and let the door shut behind him, the loud click echoing in the auditorium. He winced soon after and snapped his head back up to look towards the stage.

Steel blue eyes met his, and Akaashi winced again.

I want to disappear.

His father eyed him briefly as he approached the stage and then turned around to face the orchestra. He clasped his hands in front of him, and Akaashi could picture the huge, phony smile on the man's face.

"Well, good morning, everyone!" Akaashi's father greeted.

The orchestra collectively greeted him back, all with smiles on their faces. Akaashi slowly made his way up to the side of the stage, hovering by the steps. He kept his eyes focused on his father's shoes to avoid any chance of locking eyes.

"As you all are aware, I am now the owner of the Tokyo Opera Company," he continued.

Several orchestra members clapped or tapped their feet on the stage in applause.

Akaashi stared down at his hands as he nervously played with his fingers.

"Yes, yes, thank you," his father continued with a smile. "Anyway, I am not here to announce that. But, I am here to announce that a good friend and colleague of mine has just finished writing his very first opera. And I want this orchestra to collaborate with the Tokyo Opera Company to perform the premiere of his opera."

There were several smiles and gasps. Some members even clapped and cheered in excitement. Akaashi's brow quirked at the announcement.

An entire opera? With this short of notice?

That would take so much work. There were several parts and acts and scripts that he would have to look at to prepare the orchestra for their parts.

And…

Akaashi's eyes flitted over to see Mori standing next to his father with a wide, confident grin smeared across his face.

… how soon did the orchestra need their parts to begin rehearsing?

"Now I know that you all just received music, but I've spoken with the chairman and also with Mori-san and we've all agreed to postpone that concert so you all can focus on the opera," his father continued.

Akaashi bit back a groan.

That would mean more paperwork for him.

"Well, then. I think I've done enough talking," his father said, making the orchestra members chuckle. "I'll be around the next few weeks to see the progress. But, in the meantime, the composer himself is here and and he's going tell you about his opera."

He gestured towards the man standing on the other side of Mori, who lifted a hand and waved to the orchestra.

"I'll leave the stage to him. Thank you for your cooperation," his father concluded with a short bow.

The orchestra members clapped again as his father stepped down from the podium. He headed straight towards the steps, right where Akaashi was hovering. Akaashi held his breath and felt his shoulders stiffen, his hand reaching over to clasp his wrist tightly.

Don't notice me. Please, don't notice me.

Akaashi looked up and felt his heart flip inside his chest.

His father was staring right at him.

"I have the music in Mori's office. Why don't you come with me to retrieve it?" his father asked.

Akaashi swallowed, his hand tightening around his wrist. He lowered his gaze and nodded once, moving to follow his father down the steps and out of the auditorium. He glanced up as they exited to the hallway, staring at the back of his father's head.

"Dad, look! I got the string to make a sound!"

"Very good, Keiji. Now try again, but a little firmer this time."

"Okay… how's this?"

"Excellent."

Akaashi's stomach twisted uncomfortably. His father was not the same man he knew as a child.

Or maybe Akaashi just did not realize what kind of man his father truly was.

They entered into Mori's office and Akaashi's eyes immediately landed on the three cardboard boxes on the desk.

"Ah, now let's see… where is that order list?" his father mumbled, gently shifting the boxes around and grabbing a clipboard. He held it out to Akaashi. "Ah, here we go. This is the list of parts. Be sure that every part is collected at the end of all this."

"Right," Akaashi said.

He reached forward and grabbed the clipboard, trying to pull it back, but his father kept a firm hold on the clipboard. Akaashi looked up at his father in surprise, his eyes wide and his heart pounding in alarm.

"Are you really satisfied with this, Keiji?"

Akaashi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand, a chill shooting down his spine. He schooled his face and attempted to look calm, but his treacherous fingers began to tremble on the clipboard.

"What are you talking about?" Akaashi asked.

"This job, Keiji," his father said, his brows lowering over his cold eyes. "You could have had so much more than this."

Akaashi grit his teeth, his nerves quickly shifting to anger. His fingers gripped the clipboard harder.

"You were on your way to be principal of this orchestra, but you never showed up to audition," his father said.

Akaashi's heart was trying to pound its way out of his chest.

"And why was that?" his father continued, glowering.

Akaashi glared back, his brows low over his brows.

"Because you had to go and make unwise decisions that ultimately came back to bite you. I told you that girl was trouble for you."

Don't say any more, Akaashi thought.

His knuckles turned white with his grip on the clipboard.

Don't you dare say another word.

"And instead of performing with the top musicians in the country, you're stuck with that… that child."

Akaashi snatched the clipboard out of his father's grasp.

"I'm not stuck with anyone. And his name is Tobio," Akaashi spat. He caught the look of surprise on his father's face before he walked over to one of the boxes on Mori's desk. "And he is your grandchild, in case you've forgotten."

"And he wouldn't be here if you hadn't gone and done a foolish thing with that irresponsible—"

"Enough," Akaashi interrupted.

He could hardly breathe, his chest tight and his shoulders tense. The air was suddenly too hot, and it felt as if the walls were closing in on him. He needed to get out of the room, out of the same space of his own blood.

Akaashi angrily slammed down the clipboard on one of the cardboard boxes. He quickly picked up the heavy box and trembled out, "I've got work to do."

He turned away from his father without another word and stormed out of Mori's office. He hurried down to his own office and let the box drop on his desk, rattling the computer. He quickly turned to slam the door of his office closed and then he slammed his fists against it once.

Damn him! Akaashi thought, his eyes burning. How dare he say any of that!

He breathed uneven, harsh pants as he leaned forward until his forehead touched the door. His heart felt swell, the white anger slowly fading. He could barely hear his father's words through the blood roaring in his ears.

I was the one who made a mistake, Akaashi thought. Not Tobio. Don't you dare blame him.

Akaashi sighed and unclenched his fists, letting them slide down from the door. His hands ached from how hard he had pounded them on the door. He took in a breath and held it painfully in his lungs.

Leave my son out of this.

"Bye, Suga-sensei!"

"See you tomorrow!"

Tobio sniffled and wiped his face, watching as his classmates each rushed to meet their mothers and fathers in front of the school. He stood next to his teacher— Suga-sensei, as he introduced himself to the class that morning. He was busy waving to the other kindergarteners as they left for the day, his warm eyes glancing back to Tobio every once in a while.

It had been a long, lonely day.

Suga-sensei had introduced Tobio to every student in the class, trying to get Tobio to interact with the other students. But every time Tobio attempted to smile or play, the other kindergarteners would cry in terror at his face. Tobio ended up alone at recess and at lunchtime, except for when Suga would come and talk with him.

And by the end of the day, Tobio had been in tears several times.

Tobio rubbed his eyes with his fists and sniffled as another classmate hurried to meet his mother. He glanced around the front of the school, waiting for a familiar face to walk up, but the parking lot was quickly emptying as the parents and teachers were going home for the day.

Tobio grimaced and looked down at the ground, staring at his lonely shadow. It was soon joined by a taller shadow, and he felt a soft touch to his head. He quickly snapped his head up, hoping to see the familiar black hair of his father, but he was instead greeted with a warm smile and silvery hair.

"Okay, Tobio! Are you ready to head down to aftercare?" Suga asked, patting his head again.

Tobio frowned in disappointment, feeling his eyes well up with tears. He bit his lip and looked back down at the ground.

"Oh, no, no, Tobio," Suga said, kneeling down to look him in the eye. He placed his hands on Tobio's shoulders and squeezed gently. "You're not going to be alone, I promise. Look."

Suga pointed to another student standing a few steps away, his bright eyes following a butterfly. Tobio somewhat recognized him—the boy with the bright orange hair in his class.

Tobio frowned.

He did not like that boy.

"See? Shouyou is going to aftercare, too," Suga said.

Tobio frowned harder, a tear escaping his eye. He pouted and looked away, sniffing the snot back up his nose before it fell.

Suga smiled sheepishly at him and patted his shoulder.

"Well, maybe you can talk to him in aftercare," Suga suggested, tugging on Tobio's shoulder. "Shouyou! Let's go to aftercare!"

Shouyou spun around and smiled brightly at Suga. He lifted his hand into the air.

"Okay!" he said cheerfully.

Tobio pouted as Shouyou rushed over to latch onto Suga's other hand. Suga smiled at him, and then guided them both back inside and down the hall. Shouyou was bouncing for joy, nearly pulling Suga's arm from his socket, as Suga opened the door to the gym.

As soon as they entered, there was a slapping noise followed by a loud yelp.

"Nice kill!"

Tobio glanced over, watching as several high school students lined up in front of a net on the court. His eyes grew wide as he watched the students leap into the air and slam a ball down on the other side with a satisfying smack.

It was… incredible.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Tobio jumped at the loud voice and turned towards the source.

A man with black and white hair was walking over towards them, a huge smile on his face and his gold eyes twinkling.

"Uncle Bokuto!" Shouyou shouted suddenly, making Tobio flinch again.

He glanced over to watch his orange-haired classmate scurry over and jump into the man's arms, giggling and hollering.

"Ah, there's my shrimpy nephew!" the man said, ruffling his hand in Shouyou's hair.

"Uncle Bokuto!" Shouyou laughed, pushing his hands away. "I'm not a shrimp! I'm gonna grow big and tall!"

"Big and tall, huh?" Bokuto asked with a smirk. "Just like me, right?"

Shouyou's eyes shined and his face reddened as he broke out into a wide grin.

"Yeah! Just like you!" Shouyou said.

Tobio's eyebrows scrunched up as he watched them, his eyes brimming with more tears. His own father had never treated him this way but yet here Shouyou was, his uncle acting as if he was the greatest kid in the world.

"Okay, okay, Shouyou," Suga-sensei walked up to both of them and pulled Shouyou from the man's arms. "Let your uncle get back to work. He has to coach, remember?"

"Aw, but can we hang out afterwards?" Shouyou asked with wide eyes.

"Of course, of course," Suga said.

Both Shouyou and his uncle smiled brightly at each other, his uncle lifting up a hand for Shouyou to give a high-five.

"See, little man? Uncle Bokuto will make time for—"

Suddenly, the man stopped, his golden eyes landing on Tobio. His smile slipped into a concerned frown, his brows pinching and his head tilting.

"Oh? What's the matter, little guy?" he asked Tobio.

Tobio flinched a little, a tear falling out of his eye. He lowered his gaze to look at the ground, his lips wobbling.

"Oh, Tobio, what's wrong?" Suga asked, kneeling down beside the boy and stroking his hair. When he was met with silence, Suga sighed and turned back to Bokuto. "Ah, this is Tobio. Tobio, this is the high school volleyball coach, Bokuto-san. Can you say hi?"

Tobio's lips wobbled again but he glanced up at Bokuto, blinking carefully at him. Bokuto smiled softly at him before looking to Suga for an explanation.

"It was his first day at kindergarten," Suga explained. He leaned closer to Bokuto, whispering softly. "He… didn't make any friends today."

Bokuto's brows pinched but he kept a smile on his face as he turned back to look at Tobio.

"Aw, did you have a rough day, bud?" Bokuto asked, reaching forward and ruffling Tobio's hair.

Tobio blinked in shock at the touch, looking up at Bokuto with wet eyes. He nodded slowly and a few tears escaped.

"Poor guy," Bokuto said, pulling back his hand. His face brightened into a cheery smile. "Chin up, Tobio-chan! Maybe if you have time, we can play later. How does that sound?"

Tobio winced, taking a step back and clinging onto Suga's shirt. Suga patted his back gently.

"Maybe you guys can play before your dad picks you up," Suga suggested.

Tobio pursed his lips, looking up at Suga silently.

"Yeah! My Uncle Bokuto can teach us volleyball!" Shouyou shouted as he jumped up and down.

Us?

Tobio frowned hard and scowled at Shouyou, making him squeak and put up his fists.

"W-What? You wanna fight?!" Shouyou yelled.

Tobio pouted and turned his head into Suga's shoulder, still scowling. Suga continued to pat his head gently as he calmed Shouyou down.

"Now, now, Shouyou, no need to get worked up," Suga said with a soft sigh.

Bokuto smiled apologetically at Suga and then reached over to ruffle both Shouyou and Tobio's hair.

"Don't worry, Tobio," Bokuto said. "It'll be okay! I can show you some awesome volleyball moves once practice is over."

Bokuto flashed Tobio a wide, sparking smile. Tobio swallowed, turned his head away from Suga's shoulder to peer up at Bokuto. He sniffled a little, hesitant and insecure, but he nodded slowly in response.

Bokuto's face lit up and pumped his arms excitedly. "Yes! Sounds good, little man! See you soon!"

Bokuto hollered as he stood to his feet. He waved at Tobio and ruffled Shouyou's hair before jogging back over to his team, barking out orders. He seemed to shine, his personality colorful despite his black and white hair.

Tobio sighed and turned back to look at the door to the gym, waiting for a familiar face to appear beyond the doors.

Akaashi rubbed his temples, feeling his head pound. He could practically feel his brain pulsing with each heartbeat, the soft tissue thudding against the inside of his skull.

The entire day had put a terrible taste in his mouth that he could not wash out. Seeing those familiar eyes, cold and fierce, staring back at him made him sick to his stomach. All he wanted to do was leave.

But he could not leave until he got Mori's approval of the bowings that he had written in on a violin part.

And the intimidating conductor was currently having a drink in his office with none other than his father.

Akaashi sighed at seeing the two of them laughing with tumblers in their hands through the narrow window. The violin part was tucked under his arm, bow markings littered up and down the white page. He took a deep breath and raised a hand to rap his knuckles on the door.

Mori's head turned towards the door, his smile faltering slightly at seeing Akaashi's face. He lifted his glass and gestured for Akaashi to answer.

Akaashi swallowed and held his breath as he entered.

"Um, I have the bowings written out for the violins," Akaashi said after shutting the door behind him. He glanced over at his father, who sat quietly in the corner with a small smile on his lips.

Mori took another swig of his drink and held out his hand.

"Right, right. Hand it here," Mori said.

Akaashi handed him the part and stood back, tugging and fiddling with his fingers. He tried to keep his gaze on the ground, glancing up at Mori every so often. His eyes drifted to his father in the corner, and his stomach nearly dropped when he found his father looking right back at him.

Akaashi quickly glanced away, his knuckles cracking as he wrenched his fingers harder in a nervous fit. He cut his eyes to the clock in the room and winced.

He was going to be late picking up Tobio.

Again.

"Ah, yep, yep," Mori said, throwing down the violin part on his desk. "Looks fine. Make sure all of the parts are ready by tomorrow."

Akaashi winced, pulling on his fingers harder.

"Um… I don't know if I can get them all done by tomorrow," Akaashi said.

Mori cut his eyes up at him, the pleasantries that he had earlier now completely gone.

"What do you mean you don't know if you can get them done? I need those parts ready to rehearse tomorrow morning," Mori growled.

Akaashi jolted, dropping his hands to his sides and holding Mori's gaze. He glanced over at his father, who sat stoically with a small frown tugging on his lips.

Akaashi sighed.

What in the world was this?

"Um, I can't stay any later tonight, but I can try to get it done by lunch tomorrow…" Akaashi said.

"What?" Mori asked. He slammed his glass down on his desk with a loud clack and put his hands on his hips. "What in the hell is keeping you from doing your job?"

Akaashi fidgeted in place as he glanced up at the clock, his hands opening and closing.

"I can try to come in early," Akaashi suggested, looking back to Mori. "But I have to drop off my son—"

"Tsk."

Akaashi's jaw clicked shut at the scoff coming from the corner. He glanced over to see his father eyeing him and taking a sip from his drink. Akaashi bit his lip, suddenly feeling like he was 22 again.

"You're ruining everything I ever gave you!"

"How could you throw away your life like this?"

"You're a disgrace to the Akaashi name!"

Akaashi shuddered at his father's voice from the past, the haunting words that were thrown at him so carelessly and recklessly. He turned his gaze to the ground for a moment to take a deep breath and recollect himself. Then, he raised his head to look back at Mori, who still stood stiffly at his desk with his hands on his hips.

Akaashi took another slow, shaky breath through his nose and opened his mouth to try again.

"I can try to come in right after I drop off my son at kindergarten," Akaashi said. "But I can't stay later tonight because I have to go pick him up right now."

Akaashi tried to make the urgency in his voice obvious and clear, his eyes glancing up at the clock every so often. Time was quickly ticking away.

Mori sighed and raked a hand through his hair, looking to Akaashi's father. His father sighed and finished off his drink, moving to stand to his feet. He set the glass down on Mori's desk and then shoved his hands in his pockets, turning to face Akaashi with a disappointed stare.

"Keiji, let's chat," his father said.

Akaashi's anger flashed hot and quick in his chest, his brows furrowing and fists squeezing by his sides.

"No," Akaashi said firmly.

His father's eyes widened before they narrowed into accusing slits. Akaashi felt his own eyes narrow, daring his father to show his true colors.

"Keiji," his father whispered. He turned away from Mori and stepped into Akaashi's face. "This is not the time for your rebellious attitude."

"That's not what this is," Akaashi whispered back. "It's me trying to be a responsible father."

Akaashi tried to ignore the huff of irritation that came from his father's mouth and he walked past him to face Mori, who now looked bored and tired.

"Sorry, Mori-san," Akaashi said, bending at the waist in a bow. "If I could take the parts home, I would. But since I can't, I will come in early tomorrow to work on them. They will be done by noon."

Mori was silent for a moment, his hand coming up to scrub his face. He sighed heavily and dropped his hand, his palm slapping against his thigh.

"I guess that will have to do, then," Mori said.

Akaashi leaned back in time to watch Mori grab his glass and slam the rest of his drink down his throat. He rested the tumbler back down on his desk and rubbed his eyes.

"Just make sure you get it done before noon," Mori said.

Akaashi tilted his head down in a slight bow and hummed. "Yes, sir. I will get it done."

Mori flipped his hand, dismissing Akaashi's politeness. "Right, right."

Akaashi bowed his head one last time, just for good measure, and turned to leave. But, suddenly, a strong hand stopped him by his elbow, the grip making him wince. His father leaned close to his ear.

"Don't think you've gotten out of this so easily," he threatened, his voice low.

Akaashi shuddered and eased his arm out of his father's grasp. He clenched his jaw, avoiding his father's cool eyes, and headed out of Mori's office. He was so shaken that he had forgotten to grab the violin part from Mori's desk.

Akaashi took deep breaths, calming himself as he headed down the hall to his office. He quickly grabbed his things and practically sprinted down the hall towards the exit. He vaguely remembering hearing Konoha's voice call out to him but he was too frazzled to stop. He pushed through the exit doors and pounded his feet on the pavement towards Fukudorani High School.

His bag felt heavy on his shoulder. His father's words were heavy as they clung to his mind, making his temples pound and his chest ache.

What a terrible son.

Akaashi nearly groaned. The voice was back.

How can you be a good father when you don't even know how to be a good son?

"Shut up," Akaashi whispered to it as he boarded the packed train.

You really hate your father, don't you?

Akaashi took a slow breath, glancing around at the faces on the train. He was almost concerned that the people could hear that awful voice.

It's only a matter of time until Tobio feels the same way about you.

"Tsk," Akaashi clicked his tongue and turned his head to glance out the window, watching as the busy city passed by in a flash. He gripped his shirt near his heart. This voice had to stop before it completely consumed him until there was nothing left.

Tobio is going to hate you.

Akaashi felt his heart clench and his chest ached. His fist squeezed his shirt and wrinkled it.

"Stop…" Akaashi whispered, his hand wrenching his shirt.

You don't deserve to be his father at all!

Before Akaashi could scream, the train pulled to a stop. Akaashi's breath left his lungs in a heap as he scrambled to get off the suffocating space. Once he had regained his breath, he hurried down the one block to Fukudorani High.

Once the building was in sight, Akaashi rushed into the school and towards the gymnasium, huffing and puffing as he finally reached the door. He pushed open the door and took a moment to catch his breath, hunching over on his knees. He had finally made it. He had finally reached the school and—

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Tobio. Don't cry."

Akaashi snapped his head up at the sound of choked sobs and wet sniffles.

Tobio was on the far side of the gym, tears falling down his cheeks and a frowning Suga rubbing his back. A few volleyball players from the high school team glanced over at him every once in while as they cleaned up the gym, pitiful looks on their faces.

Akaashi took a breath and rushed across the gym, minding the players, and over to Suga and Tobio's side.

"It'll be okay, Tobio. He'll be here any min—oh! Look, Tobio! Your daddy's here!" Suga said, giving Tobio a small smile.

"Sorry I'm late," Akaashi apologized as he walked up.

Suga pushed himself up to his feet, giving Akaashi a strained smile.

"Is this going to be a habit?" Suga asked, quirking a brow with a cheeky smile on his face.

Akaashi swallowed, feeling his stomach cave in. "I… I hope not."

Suga's face softened, his face betraying a small hint of worry. But the concern was gone in a flash, his face breaking out into a wide smile.

"Well, it doesn't matter! You're here now," Suga said. He turned back to Tobio and knelt down to him. "See, Tobio? I told you he was coming."

Akaashi glanced down at his downtrodden son. He was scowling at the floor with tears still running down his cheeks.

What a face, Akaashi thought. How can he look so angry and sad at the same time?

Akaashi sighed, internally chastising himself for being late, and then he knelt down to his son.

"Hey, Tobio. Sorry I'm late," Akaashi said. "How was your first day?"

He reached out his hand to touch his head but Tobio recoiled, roughly pushing Akaashi's hand away. Akaashi frowned, his heart thumping painfully against his ribcage.

"Tobio?" Akaashi said, a little taken aback by his son's behavior.

Tobio did not respond. Instead, he turned his head away and rubbed his face. Akaashi's chest felt tight.

Were the voice's words coming true?

"Hey, hey, hey, little man! Why the long face?"

Akaashi inhaled sharply at the voice. He turned his head back and glanced up at the tall figure standing above him. Once again, the world twisted into beautiful colors. The gold of the man's eyes shined and the lights on the ceiling made them sparkle. The volleyball tucked under his arm was a bold white, green, and red, and his blue shirt seemed to shine like the night sky.

And the voice was completely silent, leaving Akaashi to feel more at peace than he had in a while.

"Hm? Who are you?"

The man was suddenly directing his gaze towards Akaashi, his golden eyes focused and sharp, yet inviting.

"Oh," Akaashi said intelligently. He stood to his feet, unsure of how to form words. This man, who he had only seen really once, had caught him being unable to console his disheartened son. How was he supposed to respond to him?

"Ah, hey, Bokuto!" Suga greeted. He glanced to Akaashi and gestured towards the man. "Akaashi, this is the high school volleyball coach, Bokuto Kotarou. Bokuto, this is Akaashi-san."

Bokuto. So that's his name, Akaashi wondered.

"It's nice to meet you, Bokuto-san," Akaashi greeted with a small bow.

"Likewise!" Bokuto said with a million-watt smile.

"Akaashi is here to pick up Tobio," Suga explained, turning back to look at the boy in question.

"Oh! So you're Tobio's dad!" Bokuto said. "He's a swell kid! I got to meet him earlier."

Akaashi glanced back at Tobio, seeing him still scowling at the floor. He looked entirely too pitiful.

"Mmn," Akaashi hummed. "He's a good son."

Bokuto tilted his head to peer around Akaashi's shoulder. His smile faltered a little and he hurried by Tobio's side.

"Hey, hey, little man," Bokuto said. "What's wrong? Didn't you have fun watching volleyball?"

Tobio sniffed and glanced up at Bokuto. His lips wobbled slightly.

"N-No one wanted t-to play w-with me," Tobio cried.

Bokuto frowned sympathetically at him before breaking out into his shining smile again.

"Well, in volleyball, you have a team, and a team will never let you down," Bokuto said, untucking the volleyball from his arm. He held it up to Tobio, the boy watching him carefully. "You wanna learn how to play?"

Tobio blinked, the tears slowly drying. He nodded and then slowly reached out to take the volleyball from Bokuto's hand, making Bokuto smile brighter.

"Awesome!" Bokuto shouted. "I'll teach you all kinds of stuff! How does that sound?"

Akaashi felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Bokuto was able to comfort Tobio with just his words. Tobio's eyes were devoid of tears, and they seemed to sparkle with new life.

So why couldn't he do that for his son?

"Great! You can hang on to that volleyball if you want, Tobio," Bokuto suggested.

He stood to his feet and turned to Akaashi with a timid smile. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"At least, he can if it's okay with you, Akaashi!" Bokuto said.

Akaashi blinked at the lack of an honorific. He found himself nodding in response.

"Ah, good!" Bokuto said, his hands returning to his hips. "Well, I'll let you guys get going. Have a good day, Tobio! It was nice to meet you, Akaashi!"

And with that, Bokuto took off towards the locker rooms, pushing one of his students into the door with a holler.

Akaashi sighed, watching as the colors faded from the room once again. He glanced down at Tobio, who was staring down at the volleyball in his hands.

"Ready to go, Tobio?" Akaashi asked.

Tobio glanced up at him and then nodded slowly. Akaashi nodded back and reached down to grab his hand. Tobio turned his head away from him, his hands clutching the volleyball instead.

Akaashi tried to swallow past the painful lump in his throat. He retracted his hand by his side.

See? It's starting to happen right before your eyes. He'll cling to someone better.

Akaashi quickly turned to Suga, ignoring the disturbing voice, and said his goodbyes. He led Tobio out of the school, the two not exchanging a word on their way home.

You can't even have a conversation!

Akaashi bit his lip, the hole in his chest deep and excruciating.

You're a failure!

Failure!

The voice did not stop until he got home and drank himself into a stupor. And only then, when his head and shoulders were heavy with alcohol, did the voice disappear, leaving him longing for the loud, boisterous voice of a bright volleyball coach.