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Being thousands of kilometers away from home, Shoyo felt the ache for the familiar stronger on some days more than others. Leaving was a lonely endeavor—Shoyo knew this all too well. It was intimidating, it was disappointing, and it was everything he needed. There would have been no growth as great as there would be in Brazil than there would have been in Japan.
Sure Shoyo had things that remind him of home, but there was nothing that quite removed the longing for the comfort of a place he had known all his life. Life in Brazil was a big change—it was daunting.
It was not all bad. Shoyo had his job, which had helped him make ends meet. He had his little mementos from Japan, which he would come back to in order to remember why he was there. He had beach volleyball, which was the driving force behind his choice to leave home.
And beach volleyball was amazing! The feel of the sand below Shoyo’s feet, making his movements more sluggish, was exhilarating. The challenge of the unknown fueled him even more. Of course, there were a few bumps in the road at first. Having only one other person on your team was tricky—receiving balls was already hard enough on its own with a libero and other teammates, now he had to cover receiving with only him and his partner.
Shoyo could not deny, however, that it was lonesome at first. Knowing no one, in a place unfamiliar, was a burden on his heart. It weighed and wore him down. He could barely speak with anyone, much less talk to anyone about how he felt. He did not want to tell those back in Japan, they would worry ceaselessly about him. How could he bother others when he chose this for himself?
It became easier to bear the pain, though, as time passed by. Shoyo delivered pizzas, played beach volleyball, and explored the wonders of Brazil. Eventually, he could even finally talk to Pedro, albeit in broken Portuguese. He made friends on the beach, he played and teamed up with all sorts of players.
-
One night, however, the weight in Shoyo’s heart burst forth in full force as he misplaced the wallet Natsu had given him. It felt as if he had a piece of himself ripped out of himself forcefully—how could he lose something so precious, something that he could rely on to ground him on the days the hint of regret tried to creep into his mind? Sure Natsu would forgive him ,but he would never forgive himself.
With a mind clouded with grief, Shoyo hopped onto his bike and headed toward the beach. He needed something to help him get his mind out of the dark place it was in. Luckily, there were people there who were willing to play with him.
After a couple of games, Shoyo decided to take a break. The feeling of regret was starting to subside and he could breathe without the heavy feeling in his chest. His head turned, however, when he heard the sound of home—he heard someone speaking in Japanese!
Looking around, Shoyo’s gaze fell onto someone familiar. It was the Great King, Oikawa Tooru, himself! He could not let out the yelp that came out of him.
What are you doing here Grand… Oikawa-san , Shoyo asked, still in a state of disbelief.
That’s my line , Oikawa-san smiled. He too seemed to be in disbelief.
I am here to train using beach volleyball! Shoyo could not help but feel the joy creeping up within him. It was the Great King! It was Oikawa-san, someone who he had admired from long ago. Maybe even more than just admired, Shoyo would never admit that out loud. Oikawa-san was the Great King, of course he could not help but fall the slightest bit for him. But that is all in the past, he thinks.
Oikawa-san laughed. Shoyo felt the slightest sensation of his cheeks turning red, filling with heat. He hushed down the slightest tingle of excitement in his heart. How he had missed something familiar during his stay in Brazil.
Man you are a scary kid sometimes, shrimp! Oikawa-san said with a large smile. The men around Oikawa-san looked at him in curiosity. They talk in English, and Shoyo is good enough to recognize what the men are saying in exchange with one another. With a light feeling ebbing at his heartstrings, Shoyo made sure not to miss his opportunity to be with the Great King, proclaiming that they would have dinner together. Beach though, huh? I see. Oikawa-san nods in approval.
Shoyo’s interest could not be quelled, why was Oikawa-san in Brazil? He asked the setter, Why are you here, Oikawa-san? The Great King paused , and then said , I am playing in the Argentine League right now.
Shoyo could not believe his ears. You are next door, he exclaims. Then the next question pops into his mind, Why Argentina? He continues, You seem like you would go to Italian or something like that! Oikawa-san ponders on the question. I totally get it. I definitely would fit in perfectly in Italy. Never gone there before though. He pauses, Can you quit making that face, please? Shoyo had not realized that his face was twisted into something between amazement and wonder.
Shoyo can barely keep the anticipation out of his voice, Oikawa-san let us play volleyball together, I— and then Shoyo’s stomach lets out the most embarrassing sound his body could possibly make.
Oikawa-san smirks at him, I was actually on the way to get something to eat. Why not take me some place good. Shoyo beams! He exclaims, There is this delicious healthy place that is really cheap! Oikawa-san grins, Do not worry about that part, I can do that much for you. Shoyo could not help but tear up at what he said. The reminder of his lost wallet suddenly comes to the front of his mind and the tears suddenly would not stop.
-
Shoyo and Oikawa-san went to the joint Shoyo had talked about. They chatted, they laughed, and they ate. They talked about Oikawa-san’s choice to go to Argentina. They talked about his admiration for the player José Blanco whom he watched in his childhood. They talked about his dream to become a setter. They talked about his painful awareness of his limits.
With each new word out of Oikawa-san’s mouth, Shoyo could not help but feel even more awe for the setter. Oikawa-san knew exactly what he wanted, something Shoyo longed to have.
As the night drew on, Shoyo felt better about his circumstances. Being around Oikawa-san felt like he could breathe easily, almost as if he had been holding his breath all this time so far.
They decided to play beach volleyball—Shoyo wanted to indoctrinate Oikawa-san into the splendid world of it. It was invigorating to play with him, Shoyo had always wanted to hit one of the Great King’s tosses. They played against two competitors who had promised to buy them food so long as they won.
And they did win! They went out for dinner. It was fun. It was entertaining. It was a weight off of his chest.
-
They end the night on a joyous note. Oikawa-san smiled at him, told him to take care. A mischievous glint entered Oikawa-san’s eyes and he called his name, affectionately. Shoyo , Oikawa says. His heart started racing. Blood rushed to his cheeks and ears. Thank you so much , Shoyo could not help but burst out, so loud his voice would have probably reached Japan. He cannot stop the feeling bubbling his body, he felt as if he could explode from glee.
They end the night with Oikawa-san declaring that he was going to beat everyone, so be ready for it! Shoyo’s eyes sparkled.
-
Later that night, as Shoyo reminisced about the day, his phone vibrated with a new message. It was from an unknown sender:
Thank you for tonight, Shoyo. Let’s go out for drinks, next time. Your treat, okay ;) and call me Tooru when we meet again!
Shoyo screamed, almost throwing his phone across the room. He immediately went to text Oikawa-san—no, Tooru—back. He sends the text:
How about tomorrow, Tooru? I am free after 8:00 PM. I know a bar which you would enjoy! It is close to where we played earlier
Pressing send, he could not but feel nostalgia as he looked at the Japanese characters. They were nothing special, just an ordinary message, but Shoyo could not help the elation that arose from reading them. He kept reading and reading and reading it.
His phone vibrated again. A message pops up, and he could not stop the adrenaline rush as he read the text. He shot up in delight, reading the message over and over:
Gotcha Shoyo! Let’s meet at the beach tomorrow at 8:15 PM and then we can walk to the bar together :>.
He could barely get himself to sleep that night, eagerly waiting for the next day to come.
-
Shoyo and Tooru met at the designated time and strolled leisurely to the bar. At the bar, they ordered drinks then found a booth towards the back. Tooru took a seat beside Shoyo, which shocked the shorter one. Their shoulders brushed against each other as they settled into their place.
Shoyo was nervous. Truthfully, he had never drank.
Tooru took a swig of his drink. He eyed Shoyo, a sly look on his face. Shoyo, he drew out, you have no experience drinking, do you?
Shoyo’s face burns. He hoped Tooru could not see how red he had become, wishing the darkness could engulf him. Shoyo nodded.
No worries Shoyo , Tooru chuckled. Let me teach you how to do it.
Tooru took Shoyo’s drink in his hand, and then grasped Shoyo’s face in the other. Shoyo felt his heart stop. All he could do was gaze at Tooru as he slotted the drink between Shoyo’s lips.
Tooru’s face was so close. Shoyo was enamored. He could not blame it on the alcohol, it had just barely touched his tongue by the time the rush of being this close to Tooru had settled in. Shoyo downed the drink and as he finished, Tooru gave his cheek a pat, proud of Shoyo’s feat.
Something was in the air. Tooru looked irresistible. Shoyo’s eyes latched onto Tooru’s lips for a moment. He catches himself and looks away, horrified at what he had just done. Tooru let out a soft laugh at how he had abruptly turned his head away. He gently grabbed Shoyo’s chin and moved his head to face him.
Shoyo, his voice was akin to singing, you do not have to be shy. Tooru drew his face closer, level with Shoyo, and asked one question. May I? The words rang in Shoyo’s ears. He paused, he could not believe his ears. Realizing he left Tooru hanging, however, he nodded slowly.
Tooru slowly pressed his lips against Shoyo’s. Shoyo had never done this before. It was his first kiss! He was on top of the world, with some clumsiness on the side. Tooru most likely knew this was his first time as he was patient—letting Shoyo explore his lips tentatively. After a while, Tooru then took the lead. Shoyo felt as if his heart was about to explode. He never thought his tiny crush on Tooru would ever come to fruition.
After some time, they pull away from each other. Shoyo was in a daze. Tooru had a playful smile on his face.
Do you want to maybe come home with me?
Shoyo could not say yes faster.
-
Leaving was a lonely endeavor—Shoyo knew this all too well. It was intimidating, it was disappointing, and it was everything he needed.
But, had Shoyo not left, he would not have met Tooru again. There was loneliness, and there would be more loneliness to come, but that did not faze him anymore—he had Tooru now, someone who he could find solace in. Tooru was bright, Tooru was safe, Tooru was home.