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Contrary to what Matsukawa and Hanamaki tell him daily, Iwaizumi Hajime is not a loser. He has enough self-assurance. Even so, he continues to stare at the definition on his monitor.
los·er
/ˈlo͞ozər/
noun
A person or thing that loses or has lost something, especially a game or contest.
A person who fails frequently or is generally unsuccessful in life.
He’s neither of those things. Well, currently, at least. He graduated while being on the Dean’s List, and he has a well-paying job waiting for him. So, no. He is not a loser. That is until he hears Hanamaki’s voice booming through his phone.
“Reality check, Iwaizumi, we’re not on the topic of school or jobs,” His voice came through the speaker.
“Yeah, because if we were, Hanamaki would be a hypocrite,” Matsukawa added.
“Would not!”
“Would too. Mr. In between jobs,” He could hear Hanamaki’s tongue click afterward.
“Whatever. Anyway, the point is, we’re talking about your ehem dilemma with your best friend.”
Iwaizumi wanted to pop a vein. They brought this up almost every time they called. He wished they’d drop it after a while, but somehow, it was always at the forefront of their minds. Ever since he had that conversation with Oikawa about his Argentinian neutralization, he avoided bringing up his name like the plague. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.
He settled on a response, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Playing dumb usually pissed them off enough to drop it.
“Be serious, it was so bad during high school, like baking milkbread? You could not pay me to do that, even for a crush.” Matsukawa said.
“Didn’t he even tutor Oikawa in English? But because of that, he almost flunked math because he had no time?” Hanamaki asked.
“HAHAHA, He did!”
“You guys are assholes,” Iwaizumi tried to get more words in until Matsukawa interjected. His face suddenly became serious.
“Hajime, we’re serious. You should do something with your feelings. Your game of gay chicken has been going on for far too long,” He said.
Hanamaki agreed, “Exactly! It’s actually getting sad at this point. I thought you would confess during our graduation, but no! Nothing! Nada!”
“I’ll think about it,” Iwaizumi lied. “No promises, though.”
“Good! Also, when are you coming back to Japan? You got the job for the national team, right?”
“Mhm, I did. I’ll probably come back within the next three months.”
The conversation flowed into more casual talk, the three of them going back and forth with some banter here and there. Despite all their nagging, those two never failed to alleviate Iwaizumi’s homesickness. It’s not like they were wrong anyway. Maybe he did need to do something with how he felt about Oikawa. His new job seemed like a handful and perhaps a good distraction for now.
The call ended at 5:30 a.m., and the sky outside was still somewhat dark. It was also 9:30 a.m. in San Juan, meaning Oikawa should be back from his morning run already. Maybe he wanted to do one last phone call before he slept. He said to himself that he’d try to avoid Oikawa as much as possible, but he never got to tell him the news about his job. In hindsight, it might not be a good idea to call your crush right after pulling an all-nighter, but hey, Iwaizumi never said he was a genius.
Oikawa picks up after three rings, “Iwa-chan! Isn’t it still early in California right now? Since when were you a morning person?”
“It's just an off day today,” Iwaizumi lied. “Anyway, I wanted to tell you something.”
“Oh? What’s with the serious voice? Don’t tell me you finally got a girlfriend?” He teased.
“Fuck off, Trashykawa, this is about a new job offer,” Iwaizumi said with a slight smile appearing on his face.
“Aw, and I thought you’d finally settle down,” Oikawa said with an unreadable tone. Weird. He continued, “So what’s the new job?”
“Seems like interning under Ushijima’s dad has perks. I get to be the athletic trainer for the National team.”
“Aww, that means you’ll have to see Ushiwaka and Tobio-chan’s ugly mugs often, sending prayers to you,” Oikawa laughed through the call.
“Wow. Aren’t you supportive?” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, with a small laugh creeping up.
“Now, besides those two, I can also beat you in the Olympics!” Oikawa proclaimed, his face that had been a grin– morphed into a smile. A real, genuine smile. “In all seriousness, Hajime, I’m really happy for you.”
“...Thanks, Tooru,” He let his joy seep into his voice. “I’ll train them to their best condition so we can beat your ass.”
“As if! Don’t be disappointed with the results.”
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The months flew by in the blink of an eye, and Iwaizumi was in LAX, preparing to board his flight back home. This time, he couldn’t shake off the nerves exploding in his body. All his years as an athletic trainer in America led up to this. All in all, he was pretty excited to see who he’d be working with for the next few years.
He heard a voice through the speaker announce that it was time for boarding. Glancing at his red passport, he got up to the gate.
Eleven hours later, the plane touched down at Narita, and Iwaizumi had a few days to kill before meeting the players. It was finally time to revisit Miyagi. It’s been over a year since he’s been back home. Even as the jetlag hit him, the streets of his neighborhood kept him awake. With his luggage in tow, he rang the doorbell of his house and was greeted by the faces of his parents and a warm embrace. He still felt a slight pang in his chest, though, almost like something was missing.
By the time evening rolled around, he figured it was time to catch up with some old friends. He messaged Hanamaki and Matsukawa to join him for drinks at a nearby izakaya. Their response was instantaneous, and both of them agreed.
When Iwaizumi entered, he heard both of them call out his name to the corner of the bar. It was a small and dimly lit place, hidden away in some corner of the town. It was a simple family-owned place. Matsukawa shouted at him again, “Iwaizumi! Pick up the pace!”
He sat down and saw the two of them had already begun their first round, with their glasses already half full. “Wow, couldn’t wait? Bunch of alcoholics,” Iwaizumi laughed. He got a light punch from Hanamaki, and latter said, “Don’t worry, I already ordered you a highball. Your jetlag will be gone in no time.”
As the night went on, they flagged down the waiter multiple times for more rounds of drinks. The conversation flowed freely from there. The trio just began saying the first thing that came to mind.
“Guys..y’know, I missed home a lot, but somehow I still feel kind of…sad?” Iwaizumi said, face flushed red from the number of drinks they’d had.
“You know what they say, ‘home is where the heart is,’” Matsukawa singsonged.
“You think home can be in a country that you haven’t visited yet?” Hanamaki asked. A few seconds later, both of them burst out laughing– at Iwaizumi’s expense, of course.
Iwaizumi let his head hit the cold table, “Urghh, maybe whoever said that was right.”
Hanamaki and Matsukawa were practically out of breath by this point. “We should have more conversations with you when you aren’t sober more often because this is priceless!” Hanamaki said while wiping a tear out of his eye.
“You’re such a loser for Oikawa,” Matsukawa said while taking a swig of his beer.
“We need to make a plan. An operation ‘Get Together With Your Friend On The Other Side of The World!’,” Hanamaki declared. He seemed way too proud of himself.
At this point, Iwaizumi stopped listening to whatever nonsense came out of their mouth. Fake dating? Locking them in a room?? The worst one was to “just tell him on a phone call.” He vaguely wondered if it was possible to disown a friend. Maybe that was just unfriending them.
When those bumbling idiots stopped talking, their little get-together ended, and Iwaizumi was paying at the register.
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Iwaizumi spent the rest of his visit catching up with what had happened while he was in California. After those five days were up, he was on a train back to Tokyo.
He stared up at the tall office building where he’d meet everyone, took a deep breath, and entered.
Iwaizumi was lucky he arrived 30 minutes early from the agreed meeting time because he could not navigate the building for the life of him. The signs were too vague, and the names of building areas were far too similar.
Whoever mapped this must’ve been a shit interior designer–
“Iwaizumi-san?”
His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of someone calling out his name. When he looked up, he faced a very familiar Kageyama Tobio.
“Ah, yeah, long time no see Kageyama,” He responded.
Kageyama bowed slightly and said, “I didn’t know you worked here.”
“Just started today. I need to find room 502.”
“Oh, I’m headed there as well…” He trailed off, still a man of few words, Iwaizumi guesses.
“Mind if I join you? I’m going there too, and I swear I’ve been searching for 15 minutes already.”
Kageyama’s eyes seemed to sparkle, and he gave a stiff nod. The walk to the room was pretty uneventful from there, and the two of them drifted into comfortable silence.
When he opened the door, he heard Kuroo giving the team some kind of talk.
“Just time! Guys, this is your new athletic trainer, Iwaizumi Hajime,” Kuroo said.
It was kind of scary when Iwaizumi saw all those eyes looking at him at the same time. He might as well strike up a conversation with them soon; They’d be working together for the foreseeable future. Once he had spent time introducing himself to everyone, he was met with a pretty warm reception. Some faces new, and some familiar.
Overall, most of them didn’t seem like they’d give him too much trouble. Even Bokuto and Hinata seemed manageable. Except he has a feeling he’ll eat his words soon. The blonde setter eerily reminds him of someone.
Iwaizumi was later informed that they had practice in a few minutes, and he was to join them as a trial run, so to speak. Easy enough, right?
Wrong.
When he arrived at the gym, he was faced with the sight of unruly children, and maybe that was giving them too much credit. He saw Hinata practically bouncing off the walls. But it’s nothing new; It’s like that kid has unlimited energy. Hoshiumi and Bokuto are off to the sides, enabling him too. At least Kageyama and Ushjima are staying silent in the corner, probably communicating with their minds or something.
He hears someone call out his name and sees Miya Atsumu beckoning him to come closer.
“Miya-san, do you need help with anything or…?” He awkwardly asks.
“Call me Atsumu!” He grins, “Anyway, I just need yer help with…uh, some stretches.”
Iwaizumi tries to ignore Atsumu’s lingering stare at his arms, “Sure.”
When he was in the middle of helping the setter stretch, they were having some small talk, and Atsumu suddenly blurted out, “You been an athletic trainer for long, Iwa-chan?”
Ah, so there are similarities between him and a brunette Argentinian setter. Iwaizumi swore he saw Kageyama appear and gave Atsumu a side-eye after that. When did he even get here??
Apart from that minor, somewhat weird, and awkward interaction, he’d say the day ended quite smoothly.
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As the months passed, Iwaizumi got used to the monotonous routine: wake up, shower, eat, go to work, go home, text Oikawa, and go to sleep. Honestly, he’s pretty proud they’ve begun talking regularly again. He’d like to give himself a pat on the back– That Ushijima selfie was a good idea. It’s what kickstarted their conversations again.
The Olympics soon came, and he was one step closer to seeing him again. They were all on the bus to the Olympic Village, and his phone suddenly pinged. It was a message from Oikawa. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
“Iwa-chan!! Are you free soon? Let’s meet up when you arrive!!!”
“I’m pretty free, see you soon.”
Tooru liked your message.
That was the fattest lie he’d said in a while.
He still had more paperwork to complete and forms to fill out for the athletes. All the Olympic staff had one hell of a week ahead of them. It’s not like he was behind, but there was a strict due date, so he’d rather finish them soon. But surely he could spare some time…he deserved a break occasionally! Sue him!
His friend, whom he hadn’t seen in years and who lived across the Pacific, was only a few miles away.
The bus finally arrives at their living quarters for the next two weeks. Hajime wouldn’t say he’s antsy, but he does feel like he’s walking faster than usual as he steps off the bus. When he walks inside, he sees Team Argentina’s volleyball players. He scans and scans until he sees a very familiar face. They locked eyes with each other for a few seconds, which felt like hours.
Until it’s interrupted by a shrill scream, “IWA-CHAN!”
He sees the broad smile on Oikawa’s face, though, so his annoyance gets lessened—just a smidge.
“Iwa-chan, I have so many things to tell you! Like, I didn’t know so many things could happen in twenty-four hours. Also, how are Mattsun and Makki? Is Makki still jobless? Anyway, how’s the new team? Please tell me you have blackmail on Ushiwaka and Tobio–”
Iwaizumi slaps his hand over Oikawa’s mouth before he can say anything more absurd. They were lucky the lobby was empty save for the two receptionists and their respective teams.
“I hope yer not colluding with the opposing team, Iwaizumi!” Atsumu suddenly appears behind him and slaps his back. “I didn’t know you were familiar with someone like him!”
He’s actually gotten close to Atsumu these past months despite the …interesting start, though to this day, he doesn’t know what's going on with him and Sakusa.
A flash of irritation shows in Oikawa’s face before it returns to a sickly smile. In a saccharine voice, he says, “Atsumu Miya, professional benchwarmer to his junior, nice to meet you.”
Atsumu takes the insult in stride and responds, “Oikawa Tooru, weren’t you raised in Japan? How come I’ve never heard of you throughout high school?”
Sparks were practically flying, and Iwaizumi had to defuse before these idiots broke some sportsmanship conduct code. Before he could interrupt, Oikawa already broke the silence by saying, “Well, you’ll hear me loud and clear when Argentina wins gold. I’ve got lunch with your athletic trainer over here, so I hope you don’t mind me stealing him away, yeah?”
Iwaizumi was practically being dragged away before he knew it. Before they left, Oikawa shouted, “Say hi to Shouyo for me!”
Atsumu watched the scene unfold before he turned back to his teammates. Surprisingly, Ushijima speaks up, “They have always been like that. Do not mind it, Miya-san.”
Kageyama joins in, “Mn, Oikawa-san can be a lot.”
Atsumu gives them a look, “He’s why I can’t call Iwaizumi ‘Iwa-chan’ ain’t it?”
Both of them look at each other and nod at the same time.
“Awww! Did I miss Oika-san??” Hinata appears with his luggage in tow.
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Oikawa took him to a nearby ramen restaurant for lunch. It was a nice place, not too crowded or noisy.
“I feel so bad for you, Iwa-chan. You have to deal with not one but two annoying setters,” Oikawa said while stuffing his mouth with noodles. “Damn, I haven’t had good Japanese food in a while.”
“Make it three. I had to deal with the worst one since childhood,” Iwaizumi replies dryly.
“You’re honestly so hurtful.”
“Good to know.”
“How are auntie and uncle, by the way? I haven’t seen them in a while,” Oikawa asks.
“Oh, mom and dad? They’re doing well; they’ve recently told me that…”
Their conversation drifted to all sorts of topics–anything that came to mind. It all flowed so easily.
Having Oikawa around was easy.
He hears Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s voices echoing in his mind, but he tries to swat those thoughts away.
Lunch ends, and they’re already lining up to the register with their bill. Iwaizumi felt a pang of disappointment. They both exited the restaurant and walked back to their respective rooms. There was a comfortable silence. When they arrived at the lobby, Oikawa was the first to break it.
In a quieter voice, he says, “I missed you a lot, Hajime.”
He lets his face break into a smile, “Missed you too, Tooru.”
Iwaizumi feels giddy as he walks through the halls to the room with the team. Little does he know that the Argentinian setter feels the same way.
That feeling shattered when he opened the door and saw some of the national team members on the ground eating candy and chips.
“Guys, what did I tell you about eating less processed food before games?” he asks icily.
He vaguely hears Bokuto whisper to Hinata, “I thought you said he’d be gone for longer?” They looked like kids whose hands were caught in the cookie jar.
“I’m confiscating your food.” He says with his voice having no room for argument.
For the coming days of the Olympics, Iwaizumi strictly monitors the team regarding their intake and physical health. He needed to ensure they were in top shape, especially for the finals. Atsumu felt like he was being watched 24/7. He was at least more lenient in the World Cup. This was on a whole ‘nother level.
Soon enough, it was finally the day of the match everyone had anticipated—Japan vs Argentina. The roaring cheers from the crowd and the adrenaline rushing from both teams. He didn’t think he’d experience it in his wildest dreams. Iwaizumi had made sure everyone was feeling more than perfect for today. That way, Oikawa can’t complain about anything. In his opinion, it was the greatest gift he could’ve given him, the match where he could beat everyone.
When the referee flips the coin, it lands on heads; Argentina serves, and Japan receives. As expected, the setter served first, and it was Oikawa’s turn. Iwaizumi doesn’t miss the setter glance in his direction before throwing the ball up in the air. All the improvement he’s made over the years and the hours he spent practicing led up to this. When he hits the ball, it lands perfectly in the corner of the court—service ace. Oikawa was able to weave in more points before Yaku received his serve.
It was a grueling match that went all the way up to the fifth set. Both teams came to a deuce throughout the match. It was now just a matter of who could get the edge to gain those two points. Argentina got to match point again. The following rally felt like it went on forever, with neither team giving up the ball. That is until Oikawa sets the ball to Thomas, and it goes blockers. The ball hit the ground with a resounding echo.
Iwaizumi should feel disappointed that his team lost. He spent all the care and time on them. Don’t get him wrong; he is disappointed to an extent, but a part of him is overjoyed by his best friend’s win. However, he feels like he has some duty to go over and comfort his team. They’ll definitely get gold next time.
The awards ceremony felt like it happened so quickly, with Oikawa’s proud smile raising the medal around his neck.
When he gets off the podium, Oikawa makes a beeline for Iwaizumi, gives him a soul-crushing hug, and crashes their face together, all in that order.
Oikawa gives him a proud look when they separate and says, “Makki and Mattsun tipped me off, didn’t know you felt that way too, Iwa-chan!” Those damn backstabbing bastards.
“For the record, I tried giving you hints, but I guess it never got through to your thick-headed skull!”
Iwaizumi’s head was kind of exploding from everything going around him. Olympic win…Oikawa telling him his unrequited love was not so unrequited…
“Wrap it up lovebirds! We have a group photo here to take.” Hinata comes around and shoves them away from each other.
“Give us a second, Shouyo! This is more important than your silly photo- STOP PULLING MY ARM! OKAY!”
“Iwa-chan! You owe me a date after this, kay?!” Oikawa’s voice echoes as he’s being dragged away back to his team.
Iwaizumi is indeed a loser for Oikawa. Literally and figuratively.
+ 1
Iwaizumi’s having dinner with Oikawa when he receives a text from Hanamaki.
Operation ‘Get Together With Your Friend On The Other Side of The World’ plan #15.
If you can’t trust either of them to make a move, do it yourself! o( ❛ᴗ❛ )o
🖕🖕🖕