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Self-study period. Issei, Hanamaki, and Tooru have absolutely no intentions of advance studying for a lesson to be discussed the next day.
Issei eyes his two friends, then the one who's too busy studyingㅡIwaizumi Hajime. A smirk forms on Issei's lips as he calls the other two to come closer, the three of them huddled behind the busy Hajime.
"First person who makes Iwa smile or laugh wins a meal from each of the losers. Only two tries each," Issei says. Hanamaki clicks his tongue in amusement and agrees; a grin lights up Tooru's face as well.
Rock, paper, scissors! Issei groans when he realizes he'd lost with a rock against two papers. When Hanamaki and Tooru battle, Hanamaki shrugs despite losing. "Second isn't bad, as long as I'm not going first," he says, elbowing Issei who gritted his teeth.
"I have no idea what to do." While the two of Issei's friends mock him into losing, an idea jumps into Issei's mind. He heaves a deep breath and approaches Hajime, clasping his hands and bringing them in front of his chest, and pulling his shoulders together.
"Iwa-senpai~ You're so cool when you play! You're my favorite player in Seijoh!" Issei says in the highest pitch his voice could reach, along with a flattery tone. Issei knows just how much Hajime loves being complimented on-court, and he often becomes happy or gets flustered when girls or guys say that they like Player#4 the best, or that Seijoh's ace lives up to his title, or that Player#4's extremely good-lookingㅡas long as it was compliments, Iwaizumi Hajime wasn't exactly picky.
Hanamaki and Tooru were holding their bellies in attempts of suppressing their laughter behind Issei, especially when Hajime's forehead creases, expression dark as he says in the most threatening tone, "The hell?"
Issei gulps. No way, he might just be pissed today. After all, Iwa never rejects compliments, he thought. Issei clears his throat and draws closer to Hajime's ear, a hand covering his lips as he whispers, "Laugh and I'll give you a hundred yen."
Hanamaki rushes to slap Issei's arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "That's cheating!" Tooru says.
"We didn't settle any rules anyway!" Issei explains, but Hanamaki pushes him away. "Leave. You just wasted your two chances," he says.
Hajime watches Hanamaki and Issei brawl in front of him. He settles his pen down and leans on the backrest of his chair. "So this is what you're doing?" Hajime says, pertaining to their small bet and sparing his chaotic friends some attention. "What's in it for me?" he asks.
"Nothing. You're the target," Hanamaki says, sitting on the chair in front of Hajime's desk, facing him. Hanamaki puts on a knowing grin, as if he has the entire thing figured out completely.
"Haj, after training, I volunteer to clean up later." If words of affirmation don't work on Hajime, Hanamaki concludes that he's an acts-of-service kind of guy. Plus, the vice captain is often pleased when someone in the team volunteers to do the tiresome chores.
The end of Hajime's lip twitches upward. Hanamaki pumps his fist in the air, while Issei and Tooru scowl.
"So, you like words better than actions, huh? Sketchy moves over sweet talk, I see." Issei groans in pain when Hajime's quick to punch his arm jokingly.
"But that doesn't count! Iwa-chan hasn't smiled yet," Tooru says, and Hanamaki huffs. "Fineㅡ But know that I'm in the lead! If Tooru doesn't outdo this, then I win," he declares.
Hanamaki pulls out his phone from his pocket, eyes turning into crescents as he suspiciously laughs at a video that plays on his screen. Hajime, Tooru, and Issei wait for their friend to show the video, a raised brow at Hanamaki as they try to think of what trick he had in his sleeve.
Hanamaki shows a videoㅡa tiktok, ratherㅡand it's just Issei, doing cute actions like imitating a cat meowing with their paw while cutesy music plays in the background.
Usually, if it involves the utter humiliation of his friends, Hajime would burst out laughing, but for some reason, this supposedly 'adorable' video of Issei just got on his nerves, making him want to grab Hanamaki's phone and throw it out the window. Hanamaki doesn't let him, though.
"Yup, confirmed. Issei's not funnyㅡhe's just hideous." Hanamaki's laughter halts when another brawl starts between the pair of cat-and-dog, with Issei repeatedly telling Hanamaki to delete the video, and the latter refusing over and over.
Now, it's Tooru's turn. Hanamaki and Issei huff. Tooru and Hajime have known each other since they were kids, so it's either a) Tooru had a secret weapon to unleash, or b) Hajime had grown immune to any of Tooru's possible tricks.
Tooru clears his throat, moving over to the seat in front of Hajime, a smirk on his face as Hajime gulped, but insisted to let the stern look on his face remain. Issei and Hanamaki don't catch the moment Hajime wavers, but Tooru does, and he uses this as an advantage.
"Iwa-chan!" Tooru advances forward, elbows on Hajime's desk as he invades Hajime's personal space. Hajime backs a bit and looks away the more Tooru leans in. Quite a scene for Issei and Hanamaki that they had to pause their little brawl.
"I really like you!" There Tooru goes, with his booming voice, his words reaching all the corners of the classroom and causing heads to turn their away.
To the other two of the group, they know it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and they wonder what exactly was Tooru planning because normally Hajime would just hit him in the head while calling him crappy nicknamesㅡ
Scratch that. Iwaizumi Hajime was (barely) covering his mouth with the back of his hand, and Issei and Hanamaki could catch a glimpse of a twitching smile, probably because he was doing his best to bring his lips to frown, along with the rare sighting of a hint of pink on his tan skin.
"This guy, really…" Hajime whispers. He looks at Tooru and notices that the brunette was actually smiling, but with extremely reddened cheeks and ears. At this point, Hajime knows Tooru was smiling just to hide his embarrassment from the words he had just yelled, and this urges Hajime's smile to grow.
Tooru turns to Hanamaki and Issei, boastfully sticking his tongue out in victory at the two who simply just looked back at Hajime and Tooru, dumbfounded.
"I've got one more chance, right?" Tooru says with a raise of his brow and an arrogant smirk on his lips, causing the two to roll their eyes and scowl.
"Iwa-chan!" They wonder why today, Tooru's name-calling for Hajime sounded a bit different, as if it was laced with more affection, whereas Hajime was basking in it, loving every second of Tooru calling his name in the cutest manner. (Well, at least for Hajime, it was cute.)
Tooru leans into Hajime's right ear, Tooru's hand covering his lip as he whispers something to Hajime that the other two can't catch. When Tooru retracts, an innocent smile on his face, Hajime's expression was then the one with a conceited raise of brow and a daring smirk.
Something's going on, Hanamaki thinks.
More so when Hajime's lips form a full, sweet smile, not really obvious whether it was genuine or fake, but for sure, it was a smile. He shows it to both Hanamaki and Issei, who exclaim a great 'Ha?' in surprise.
Hanamaki couldn't help but look at Tooru and Hajime with suspicious eyes.
"What did you say to Iwa?" Hanamaki asks.
"It's nothing," Tooru answers, getting off his seat and his expression going back to mimicking that of a playful puppy. "That'll be a meal each, from the two of you," he continues as he walks towards Hanamaki and Issei.
"Tooru," Hajime calls. Tooru jolts in surprise and looks back at Hajime with a forced smile.
Something is up, Issei thinks as well. Did he sell his soul to Iwa or something?
Hajime leans on the backrest of his chair, a hand in his pocket as he raises the other, index finger pressing on his cheek.
Is he … Asking for a … Hanamaki thinks.
"Let's not do this now, Iwa-chan," Tooru says in a soft voice, and it causes the smirk on Hajime's lips to grow.
"Just one," Hajime says, a subtle pout forming on his lips that only Tooru catches. "For starters," he continues. Tooru's cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink.
First, the brunette chuckles, trying to sneak his way out by waiting for Hajime's never mind, but it never comes. Second, Tooru bites his lower lip, hesitation filling his gaze that refused to meet Hajime's insistent ones.
Lastly, with a hand frustratedly running through his hair, the brunette stomps forward, sighs, and gives in.
He leans down, face inches away from his best friend's, and a moment of hesitation from Tooru was all Hajime needed for him to decide to play around with his best friend, just like how they did to him.
Tooru leans in to greet Hajime's right cheek with his lips, the other two staring in great horror as he does.
Except it wasn't really Hajime's cheek that he had kissed, but his lips.
Hajime actually took the last split second to turn his head, and his mission in trying to mess with Tooru is complete.
Hanamaki squealed, Issei's face turned sour, and everyone in the room was justㅡ Surprised.
But Iwaizumi Hajime was smiling.
Tooru backs away the moment he felt the soft and moist sensation, deducting that this wasn't Hajime's cheek at all. He covers his blushing face with both hands as he tries his best to formulate coherent words, but he couldn't.
"Iㅡ Howㅡ I don'tㅡ" Nope, Tooru doesn't continue. He's too busy trying to control the rapid beating in his chest to actually organize his thoughts.
Tooru doesn't notice Hajime until the latter's already standing in front of Hanamaki and Issei. "My treat later. All you want," Hajime says, and although the other two are thrilled by the offer, they still couldn't help the cluelessness evident in their expressions.
"So how exactly did Tooru bargain with you?" Hanamaki asks Hajime, eyeing the two suspiciously.
"Oh. Tooru just said that in exchange for a smile, I'd get a kiss."
Hanamaki couldn't help the itching confusion in him, feeling like he had lost all sense of logic and rationality when he couldn't understand why Hajime agreed to such a bargain. "And why would you, of all people, want that?" His voice comes out a little louder than expected due to surprise.
Issei's confused as well, looking at Hajime with wandering eyes, mouth agape as he tried to process what was happening.
Issei stands up and thoughtlessly proceeds to kiss Hajime on his right cheek, but Hajime roughly battles Issei's forehead with his palm.
"This is your second straw, Issei," Hajime says, boyish laughs escaping his mouth as he evades his friend's lips.
"You don't look like a 'physical touch' type of guy!" Issei says, sulking. Hajime's forehead creases. "A what?"
Hajime doesn't pay attention to Tooru who was too busy trying to recover from Hajime's prank, so he doesn't notice how Tooru's nostrils were actually already flaring, embarrassment turning to shallow anger. The brunette's competitiveness strikes, thinking that Hajime having this effect on him yet him not being the least bothered was unfair in all ways.
Plus, that wasn't what Tooru whispered at all.
Tooru walks over to Hajime who was too focused on brawling with Issei. The pout on his lips accompanying his knitted eyebrows clears as he opens his mouth and bites at the edge of Hajime's ear.
Tooru achieves his goal, basking in Hajime's embarrassment who looked back at him with extremely flushed cheeks, backed away, and two hands on the ear that Tooru bit.
"What the hell?" Tooru's happy to know where Hajime has his highest level of sensitivity. He knew this when he once blew softly in his ear and Hajime got mad when they were kids.
"That's not what I said!" Tooru exclaims, causing Hanamaki and Issei to delve in a deeper state of confusion.
Tooru sighs, facing their two confused friends, a hand covering half of his face in exhaustion as he says, "We're dating."
Crickets. They don't respond, obviously as if they were being conned into some kind of joke.
Tooru looks at them with a serious expression this time. "He confessed a week ago. I said I'll think about it and I figured this was a good way to get a good reaction, so I said I'll date him when I whispered in his ear."
Still crickets, but it takes seconds for Hanamaki and Issei to process the information and for their eyes to widen.
"We initially wanted to hide it, but…" Tooru looks at Hajime. "This jerk just had the guts to expose it."
"That greatly pains me, baby," Hajime says, recovering from the fiasco. It's the first time Hajime spouts an endearment to Tooru that's genuine in public, and Hanamaki and Issei automatically cringe at it.
"So, this entire bet and you knew you had already bagged the prize from the start?" Tooru shrugs, and Hanamaki just looks at him in disbelief.
A hand snakes around Tooru's waist. "Finally, no restraints," Hajime says, a sly smirk on his lips as he intently gazes at his newly-established boyfriend's face. The brunette simply rolls his eyes in reply.
"You have no idea how much this guy messes with me when we're alone," Tooru says. The way he says it and the way Hajime's smirk grows bigger makes Hanamaki and Issei want to know absolutely nothing about it.
"So?" Issei says, huffing. "What's Iwa's love language?" he asks Hanamaki.
They look at the new couple and watch Tooru ramble about his boyfriend's actions while Hajime bites back with remarks that causes Tooru to ramble more. A bickering that probably only them, a pair of childhood friends turned lovers, will only be able to pull off.
They watch as Hajime's lips curve every time Tooru can't retort with his boyfriend's remark, his eyes so full of sweet adoration that Hanamaki and Issei thought they might've been interrupting something incredibly intimate just by watching.
Turns out, Iwaizumi Hajime's love language wasn't just words of affirmation, acts of service, nor physical touch.
Because in Hajime's eyes, as long as it was Tooru, every language was incredibly lovely.