"Asahi-san! Long time no see!" Tanaka said, dusting off his pants and taking off his cap. His hair had grown long, enough for him to tie it on a ponytail, just as he himself had done a few years back. "Yeah, I grew my hair out. It was kinda annoying having everyone rub my head for 'good luck' what is that, right?"

"Yeah, uh."

"I'm starving, let's go get something to eat? You just got off work- Oh, you already got food?" Tanaka pointed at the plastic bag Asahi was holding.

"We can go out if you want, this bun is pretty much destroyed anyway."

"Why, what hap- Woah, Asahi-san, you're bleeding! I think it'd be better for you to clean that wound, what the fuck happened?" Tanaka hadn't changed. He was still as loud as ever, which made Asahi feel at ease somehow. As they made their way up the stairs to his apartment, Tanaka told him about how he had heard from Suga that he was working for a delivery company in Kawasaki, and how he was surprised to hear he hadn't continued playing volleyball after all. "You got a nice place, Asahi-san!"

"Thanks. There's drinks in the fridge, help yourself to whatever."

Ryuu looked around the tiny room. It sure was nice for such a small place; a unit bathroom, though? Ugh. He still hadn't gotten used to that. Back home the toilet and shower were two separate rooms, everything was cramped into such tiny spaces in the city. "You sure have become a city boy, huh, Asahi-san, haha!" He could tell Asahi was laughing in the other room. "It's been close to three years, right? Sorry to suddenly show up like this. I thought you wouldn't recognize me or wouldn't want anything to do with me after so long."

"It's all good. I have fond memories of you, so it's not like I'm feeling forced to be nice or anything, ha. So, how have you been?" He took a couple of beers from the fridge and offered one to his junior.

"No thanks, got practice tomorrow."

"You still play?"

"Yeah. For Chuo University's male volleyball team." Asahi must've made the weirdest face, for Tanaka was now grinning, pointing at the university logo on his cap. "Barely made it, but I'm in, hell yeah!"

"Congrats!" Asahi's shock still didn't go away. Was this the same kid who had to take several make-up tests throughout his years in high school? "Wow, Chuo, huh?"

"Tell me about it! I couldn't believe it either, I thought someone must've sent me someone else's acceptance letter by mistake or something but nope. I buckled down those last few months and forced my way in, haha."

Tanaka's pride was almost too much for his body to contain, which made Asahi kind of jealous. He had actually gotten accepted at a college back home, but after a year he realized academics were not his forte. So, instead of wasting his parents money on something he knew would not give him results, he opted for dropping out and decided to try his luck in the city. It had not been easy for him to move out on his own much less to a city so far away from home, but he thought the complete change of scenery would be good for him. He could try to be someone new, in a new city where nobody knew him.

"I ran into Suga-san at a college tournament last week. We got to talking and that's when he mentioned you were living pretty close by; he even gave me your number but I thought you'd never pick up your phone, knowing you don't answer stranger's calls." Asahi was surprised. Not a lot of people knew he ignored phone calls from unknown numbers. "Anyway, at first I thought you guys were living together."

"What? No way! Not with the way Suga snores at night."

"Haha, yeah I remember those nights at volleyball camp. Good times."

Asahi smiled as he reminisced about that time; it truly was ages ago but he could still remember the matches, the punishments and that one day everyone had barbeque at the end of the day.

"Nishinoya says 'hi'."

Asahi came back to the present at the mention of his name. "Huh?"

"He just texted me; told him I came down to visit." He kept talking as he typed. "I think he's pretty mad at me for not telling him, jeez."

"Tell him I said 'hi' back."

"I think that would just make him angrier at this point?… hold on…"

Sweat started rolling down Asahi's forehead. Was Nishinoya also in the area? Why was everyone suddenly around the Kanto region? He hoped to god Tanaka didn't think of inviting him. "Is he going to school around here as well?"

"No, he stayed back in Torono. I think he's some time off cause he doesn't know what he really wants to study."

"It's good to know you still keep in touch."

"Yeah well, he practically made me give him all my contact information. I mean, after you graduated you hardly ever talked to us anymore; I think you kinda traumatized hi-… sorry…"

"It's okay." Guilt. Falling over him as heavy as rocks and continuously as rain. "Truth be told, I thought it would be him I'd find sitting outside, not you." Tanaka's eyes went from his phone to Asahi's face. "The girl at the convenience store, my neighbor, said a short guy had stopped by looking for me; I assumed it was him as soon as she said that, haha."

"Is that why you were all out of breath when you got here? Anyway. Well, you have gotten a bit taller since I last saw you, but I'm not short at all, what the hell?"

"In comparison, though…Haha. Don't tell Noya what I said, by the way."

Tanaka took off his cap and headed towards Asahi. His left arm went around his neck, pulling him towards him, while the other held the cellphone in front of them. "Say cheese!"

"What the-"

"Sorry, Noya-san was asking for a picture. He didn't really believe I was here, ha." Before Asahi could say a word, Tanaka showed it to him. "Asahi-san, don't we look alike, kinda?"

"As if! Give me that." He took the phone from Tanaka and frowned. As suspected, they looked nothing alike, aside from the long hair. "You really are blind if you think we look the same."

"Obviously not the same; I'm much more charismatic and lively and handsome, come on."

"Tsk."

"Ready to go?"

"Sure, just let me grab another jacket." Asahi was about to suggest they stay inside, but somehow didn't want him to think that is all there was to his life now. He had to admit he was a little jealous of Tanaka, but the life he had chosen for himself was not so bad. It's not like he had no life.

The place was full once they got there, so they had to wait a bit before getting seated. Waiters would come outside to take note on how many people were waiting, and they would greet Asahi cheerfully before going back inside.

"You're pretty popular, huh?"

"Former coworkers, haha."

"You were a waiter? Really?"

"Yeah, why so surprised?"

"You never struck me as a social type of guy. Never thought you'd have the guts to deal with people like you have to when you're a waiter." Tanaka went back to typing on his phone. "You've really changed, Asahi-san."

The waiter called for them and finally took them to their table. It was loud and full of smoke coming from the grills, but the food was good and everything was \280, including drinks, so it was heaven.

"…and then I totally told Daichi-san he was gonna have to treat me to yakiniku next time we met, hahaha…I love Daichi-san, he was like, like a big brother to me you know. Fucking Saeko-nee, never calls me anymore… I really respect him you know, his receives were the best. Shit, don't tell Yuu I said that." It hadn't taken a lot to convince Tanaka to go for at least one beer, and that soon escalated to four. If he was loud when sober he was thrice as loud when drunk. People on the tables next to them laughed and whispered, and Tanaka would occasionally try to pick a fight with some of the other guests. Asahi was regretting having offered him a drink.

"If you don't keep your voice down I'm going to call Daichi and tell on you."

Tanaka stared at him. "Pfffft. What are you, 10? Tsk…Yo-" he turned to the guy sitting on the table next to him. "What the fuck are you looking at, huh?"

"Sorry! Please excuse my friend, he's drunk out of his mind." Asahi pleaded apologetically, bowing his head as he tried to make Tanaka focus on him.

"Asahi-san, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"Why's it you stopped talking to us? I mean, maaan. We thought we'd at least be able to hang out ya know? Yo, waiter! Get me 'nother beer… You." Tanaka pointed a finger at him. "I really, really wanted to punch you back then."

"Sorry."

"You turned into such a sad… blah, you know? Everybody was worried. I just wanted to punch the beard out ya face… hahaha"

"That would've been ok. I really did need punching back then."

"Yuu was worried; man was he worried." Tanaka gulped down what remained on his glass in one go. "He tried calling you many times. He tries even now, you know? But you never answer."

Oh. So that's how he knew.

"Say, Tanaka."

"Hm?"

"Why'd you come here today?"

"I love… my friend…s…" He grinned and then face planted on the table.

Asahi blinked a couple of times. It took him a few seconds before his brain started working again to ask for the check. Man was Tanaka heavy; it was a good thing Asahi was all muscle himself, otherwise getting him in and out of that taxi would've been hell.

"Please don't puke, please don't puke, please don't puke." He repeated like a mantra while placing Tanaka on his bed. His phone started ringing and Asahi tried to look for it desperately. Front pocket? Shirt pocket? Where? Finally, he was able to turn Ryuu on his side and take the phone from his back pocket. Perhaps his friends were wondering why he hadn't made it home yet. He stared at the phone for a while before answering.

"Hello…"

"Oh…Asahi-san?"

Asahi felt as if a flamethrower was pointed directly at his face.